Our reputation for research and development has been boosted with an excellent contribution to a stroke drug trial.

Our stroke team started recruiting  patients to the FOCUS trial in February 2013, led by Dr Pratap Rana (pictured middle).

Co-ordinated by the research nurses, with the help of ward and pharmacy staff, 81 patients have been recruited. Leeds, for example, with a much bigger unit only had 120 recruits.

Our efforts helped the trialists recruit 3127 patients nationally with CHFT's  team unit ranked 6th highest out of 103 units in the country

Dr Rana, said: "It is exciting to be part of a trial such as this. We have previously been involved in trials for clots and for food for stroke patients and  the results all go towards the ultimate goal of improving care for stroke patients. Trials can make such a difference."

The FOCUS trial addressed the question of whether fluoxetine may have beneficial effects on the brain after a stroke. The drugs is currently prescribed as an anti-depressant but the trial was to discover whether it also improves the recovery of the brain after damage by a stroke. If this proves to be the case then patients will have shorter periods of rehabilitation.

The results won't be known for between six months to a year.