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TIA is a medical emergency - anyone suffering a suspected TIA should see a doctor immediately.

If your symptoms resolve within 24 hours of onset, this is called a TIA. If you experience a TIA, there is a high risk of suffering a stroke in the following month. TIA clinics exist to assess you quickly, establish if there are any conditions that may put you at high risk of stroke (such as atrial fibrillation or carotid stenosis) and commence treatment. TIA clinics occur in the Admission Avoidance Unit (AAU), Monday to Friday. If you present to the emergency department with a TIA between 8am and 8pm, a member of stroke team should assess you in ED in place of a TIA clinic appointment. Local Hospitals across the South West Peninsula have their own TIA clinics. .

The TIA clinic is organised by the AAU coordinator (Emma Hopkins), who will contact you to book your clinic appointment. Referrals are either made by your GP or by an assessing Doctor in ED if you present overnight. You will attend the clinic for a day and have all the necessary investigations for the doctor to make a full diagnosis.

Investigations usually include:

• Blood pressure testing
• Blood tests for cholesterol and diabetes
• ECG test
• Carotid doppler studies
• You may need a CT scan or MRI scan

We aim to have these tests completed on the day of admission, so this can take some time. We should be able to give you the results of scans before you go and commence appropriate treatment. We will write to your GP with a summary. Do not drive to this clinic appointment as there is a one month driving restriction after a TIA. We can only accommodate a set number of patients every day and we appreciate your flexibility in accepting the available appointment time given to you by the co-ordinator. Usual treatment is medication to control your blood pressure, your cholesterol and to stop blood clots from forming.