Stroke support in Hertfordshire depends on which half of the county your GP is in. In the east and north, the stroke unit is at the Lister in Stevenage and the community team is run by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. In the west, the stroke unit is at Watford General and the community service is run by Central London Community Healthcare. Starling Homecare, meanwhile, provides care at home alongside both, across all ten of the areas we cover.
Families usually meet the stroke services in the wrong order. First, the ambulance, the unit and the discharge all happen to them, quickly. Only afterwards does anyone ask who is coming to the house, and for how long.
This article sets the services out in the order they arrive, with the numbers. As a result, a family in Hertford or Hemel Hempstead can see which team is theirs. It sits beside our article on stroke recovery at home after the six-month review, which covers what happens once the NHS therapy ends.
What stroke support in Hertfordshire looks like: the three stages
There are three stages, and each has a different team. To begin with, the hospital stage is the hyper-acute and acute stroke unit, where clot-busting treatment, scans and the first days of rehabilitation happen. Second, the community stage is a specialist team that comes to the house after discharge. It usually gives up to six weeks of intensive therapy and, in total, up to six months of support.
Third, the longer term stage is the Stroke Association, the GP, and care at home where it is needed. The NHS says that after about six months you should get a review of your progress. The home recovery plan may include physiotherapy, help with speech and swallowing, activities for memory and concentration, and talking therapy for anxiety and low mood. However, who delivers that plan is what changes with your postcode.
Stroke support in Hertfordshire east and north: the Lister and the HCT community team
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust runs its hyper-acute stroke service at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. It provides thrombolysis, investigation and rehabilitation, as well as a daily rapid access TIA clinic for suspected mini-strokes. Its stroke page, last updated in 2019, also gives a local life after stroke helpline on 01438 845941. Check that number is still current before relying on it.
After discharge, the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust community stroke team then takes over. It covers anyone aged 18 or over registered with a GP in East or North Hertfordshire, and is based at Kingsway Health Centre in Stevenage on 0300 123 7571.
Its published service, for example, runs four pathways. Early supported discharge is for mild to moderate strokes with rehabilitation goals in the first six weeks. Supported discharge, by contrast, is for more complex needs. Disability management, meanwhile, is short term support after a severe stroke without rehabilitation goals. The fourth is the six-month review, run in partnership with the Stroke Association.
First, every patient gets a welcome home visit and a full assessment. Rehabilitation then follows at home, in clinic, in groups or online. The team takes referrals from hospitals and GPs, and self-referrals from patients and families seen by the service in the past year.
Stroke support in Hertfordshire west: Watford General and the CLCH stroke service
West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's stroke service is at Watford General. The Dick Edmonds Stroke Unit on the third floor of the main building houses the hyper-acute stroke unit. The trust offers thrombolysis and also refers suitable patients for thrombectomy at Imperial College Healthcare in London. It runs daily TIA clinics with same day investigations where needed.
The community side in the west is Central London Community Healthcare's Integrated Community Stroke Service. In practice, it coordinates the handover from hospital to home. Its published outline describes three pathways. First, early supported discharge starts within 24 hours of leaving hospital. Second, the neuro enhanced transition team starts within 72 hours. Finally, a community stroke pathway follows.
Therapy is intensive as a result. The target is 45 minutes per discipline, five days a week where appropriate, for up to six weeks. In addition, the service runs seven days a week from 9am to 5pm. Referrals come from the stroke units through the CLCH single point of access on 0300 020 0656, option 2 then option 9. The service also provides carers and families with education and training on stroke rehabilitation, which is worth asking for by name at the first visit.
The charity layer: the Stroke Association across Hertfordshire
The Stroke Association's Hertfordshire Stroke Recovery Service supports anyone who has had a stroke or TIA, and their carers and family. First, a stroke support coordinator works out what matters most to the person. The service then provides home visits, telephone and online support, information about local services and, importantly, the chance to meet others in the same position. The Hertfordshire team is on 01438 717505 or [email protected].
The national Stroke Support Helpline is 0303 3033 100, open weekdays from 9am to 5pm and Saturday mornings. Above all, it is the number for the questions that arrive in the evening, after the therapist has gone.
How Starling Homecare provides stroke care at home in Hertfordshire
The community teams are therapy services with a six-week intensive phase and a six-month limit. In other words, they are not there to help someone wash and dress every morning, and they do not come at night. That is where care at home fits. It fits best when it starts while the therapists are still visiting, so the carer learns the exercises and the transfers from the people who set them.
Our carers support people after a stroke with personal care, help with meals where swallowing has changed, and medication prompts. They also help with the repetition the therapy programme asks for between sessions, because that is where progress is made. Where the stroke has left one side weak, for instance, we plan visits around the times the person is most tired. Where a partner has become the full-time carer overnight, we provide sleeping or waking nights so that they can sleep.
Our stroke care at home service page sets out what is included. Our post-hospital care page explains how the first weeks home are planned. We are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, and we work alongside the NHS stroke teams rather than in place of them.
Where we provide stroke support in Hertfordshire
Our carers support people after a stroke across all ten of the areas we cover. In addition, each has its own local team and number.
- St Albans: 01727 324 127
- Harpenden: 01582 824 830
- Welwyn Hatfield: 01707 714 000
- Potters Bar: 01707 714 000
- Hemel Hempstead: 01442 954 137
- Berkhamsted: 01442 954 137
- Tring: 01442 954 137
- Hitchin: 01462 534739
- Hertford: 01920 746779
- Radlett and Shenley: 01923 988 550
Common questions about stroke support in Hertfordshire
Does Starling Homecare provide stroke care at home in Hertfordshire?
Yes. We provide visiting, overnight and live-in care for people recovering from a stroke across the ten areas listed above. We work alongside the NHS community stroke teams and the Stroke Association rather than replacing them. Visits are planned around the therapy programme and, above all, the person's energy.
How do I get the community stroke team to visit after discharge?
The referral is normally made by the hospital stroke unit before the person leaves. In the east and north, the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust team on 0300 123 7571 also accepts GP referrals, and self-referrals from anyone seen in the past year. In the west, referrals go from the stroke unit through the CLCH single point of access on 0300 020 0656.
What support is there for the family carer after a stroke?
The CLCH service says it provides carers and families with education and training on stroke rehabilitation. The Stroke Association's Hertfordshire service supports carers as well as the person who has had the stroke. The NHS also advises that a carer can ask the county council for a carer's assessment. Ask each team about this at the first home visit.
The service details above were checked on 20 September 2026 against the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust community stroke service page, the CLCH Hertfordshire services page, both trusts' stroke pages and the Stroke Association's Hertfordshire service page. Hours and numbers change, so confirm them by phone before you travel. To talk through care at home after a stroke, our St Albans office is on 01727 324 127 or [email protected].
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.