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When personal trainer David was on his way to work in October 2025, he felt a 'funny sensation' and was struggling to move or use his hand.  

The 51-year-old began to feel frustrated with the lack of movement and laid down on the floor. His partner realised he was having a stroke and called an ambulance which arrived 20 minutes later and transported him to The Royal London Hospital where he was assessed. He later underwent a mechanical thrombectomy - an emergency minimally invasive procedure to physically remove a blood clot blocking a large blood vessel in the brain.

His story has now been featured on BBC's The One Show which documented our emergency stroke pathway.  

The piece also features Dr Oliver Spooner, north east London stroke lead, showing him assessing an emergency stroke patient when they arrive at A&E. Depending on the situation, patients can be sent for a scan and, if required, will undergo a mechanical thrombectomy.

This procedure is carried out by an a specialist team led by a doctor called an Interventional Neuroradiologist (IR). In Dave's case, the IR was Dr Paul Bhoghal, who spoke to the BBC about the procedure which involves specialised equipment and guidewires being used to physically remove the clot from the artery in the brain in order to restore the blood supply.

You can watch the full piece here (starts around 13 minutes).