STROKE patients from Bolton could benefit from a "game-changing" treatment as Greater Manchester sets out plans to adopt a revolutionary procedure.

The region's health bosses are taking steps to become one of a limited number of places in England to offer a mechanical thrombectomy.

The specialised procedure has been proven to significantly improve the chances of recovery for individuals who suffer from a severe form of stroke, where blood vessels in the brain become blocked.

The complicated procedure sees a 3ft-long catheter tube inserted into an artery, usually through the groin, and a wire-mesh stent is fed through it into the brain.

Once at the site of a clot the stent is used to trap it and remove the blockage, restoring blood flow immediately.

Trials have shown that survival rates and quality of life are dramatically improved when a patient undergoes the procedure within six hours of symptoms beginning to show.

NHS England estimated the annual cost to the health service of the treatment would be £38 million.

To date, the specialist treatment has only been available at a limited number of hospitals across the country but, last week, NHS England announced plans to roll it out nationally.

Khalil Kawafi, stroke clinical lead for strategic network and senate across Greater Manchester, said the region's health bosses wanted to be one of the first to offer the treatment when it is phased in later in 2017.

Greater Manchester has hyper acute stroke units at Salford Royal — first port of call for Bolton patients needing acute stroke treatment — Fairfield in Bury and Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

Plans could see patients with certain types of acute ischaemic stroke sent to Salford for the thrombectomy treatment.

Dr Kawafi said: "The procedure is very delicate and requires an interventional neuro-radiologist (INR). There are only 90 in the country and we need 300 to deliver the treatment nationally. This gives you an idea of how far away we are delivering this across the country.

"Luckily for us in Greater Manchester, Salford hospital has the ability to do this. At the moment there are three to four INRs in Salford with the view of appointing one more. So we are not as far away as some people.

"A board has been formed and the first meeting a few months ago was a very successful one. To sum it up, everyone wants to get this to work."

Working with a number of bodies across the region, including North West Ambulance Service, a business plan is being created to submit to NHS England in the hopes of securing backing and funding.

The NHS plans to introduce the procedure at all 24 neuroscience centres across England, eventually benefiting an estimated 8,000 patients a year.

While no time frame has been set for the roll out, if it came, Greater Manchester patients who qualified for the treatment — approximately just five to 10 per cent of the population — would be treated in Salford.

Juliet Bouverie, chief executive at the Stroke Association, added: "Thrombectomy is a real game changer which can save lives and reduce the chances of someone being severely disabled after a stroke.

"Stroke is the fourth biggest killer in the UK, and a leading cause of disability. Current treatment options are limited and do not always work.

"This decision by NHS England could give thousands of critically-ill stroke patients an increased chance of making a better recovery.

"It could mean more stroke survivors living independently in their own homes, returning to work and taking control of their lives again as a result. And this will undoubtedly lower NHS and social care costs for stroke."