A Hadleigh grandmother was in the right place at the right time after suffering a stroke while attending a hospital appointment.

Tracey Holland, 59, was being seen at the research unit at Ipswich Hospital when she told nurses Helen Atkins and Debbie Simmonds she was having a twitchy eye.

The nurses immediately responded. 

Mrs Holland said: “My eye was a bit funny that morning and by the time I got to the hospital I couldn’t see out of it very well. I happened to mention it. The nurses Helen and Debbie said they didn’t think something was quite right.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Tracey with her husband Paul.Tracey with her husband Paul. (Image: ESNEFT)

The nurses had Dr Sanjeev Sharma check over Mrs Holland who said her blood pressure was high and she needed to see the stroke team immediately.

Then Mrs Holland's face started to droop on the right side of her face.

The on-call stroke team advised for the 59-year-old to go A&E for urgent review by the stroke team and a member of the hospital's research team. 

Mrs Holland had been attending the hospital as a research participant for a study run by at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).

Mrs Holland said: “It was all rather shocking. I was told it was a small stroke and needed to stay in. I care for Paul who is poorly after having a stroke and heart attacks himself, so I was concerned about him at that point.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Helen Atkins, Debbie Simmonds and Dr Sanjeev Sharma were all involved with helping Tracey. Helen Atkins, Debbie Simmonds and Dr Sanjeev Sharma were all involved with helping Tracey. (Image: ESNEFT)

“I was in the right place at the right time. Helen and Debbie just seemed to know. They were amazing. I can’t thank them enough and they came up to the ward to check on me. If I’d been at home I think I’d have carried on ignoring it.”

After a CT scan, she was kept in Ipswich Hospital overnight and told she’d had a mini-stroke.

She will return to the hospital for further follow-up appointments.

Endocrinology consultant Dr Sharma said: “The Trials Research Unit at Ipswich Hospital caters to a large cohort of research patients with a range of existing conditions.

East Anglian Daily Times: Tracey Holland said she was in the right place at the right time.Tracey Holland said she was in the right place at the right time. (Image: ESNEFT)

“Irrespective of the reason patients are attending hospital, they should never hesitate to inform the healthcare team about their ongoing and new symptoms.

“We hope to see Tracey much better in her subsequent research appointments and thank her for her gratitude.”