Mobile connectivity breakthrough transforms stroke response in East of England

Time-critical stroke care has been given a significant boost in the East of England thanks to a landmark collaboration between Excelerate Technology and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

The partnership has enabled ambulance crews to consult stroke specialists via video in locations previously cut off from reliable mobile coverage, dramatically improving diagnosis and treatment pathways.

By delivering hospital-grade connectivity from the roadside, the system allows NHS clinicians to diagnose patients earlier, transport them directly to specialist stroke centres when necessary, and make faster, more accurate treatment decisions.

Stroke is a clinical emergency in which every minute without treatment can destroy up to 1.9 million brain cells. The difference between prompt intervention and a delayed diagnosis can mean the difference between full recovery and permanent disability — or even death.

Mobile Stroke Video Triage (SVT) allows paramedics to assess symptoms in real time, consult hospital specialists, and direct patients to the most appropriate care, whether that involves clot-busting thrombolysis, surgical thrombectomy, or outpatient review in a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) clinic. However, poor signal in rural and coastal parts of the East of England has often forced crews to take patients to A&E “just in case,” even when a stroke was unlikely. This has put additional pressure on emergency departments and delayed care for those who do need urgent specialist intervention.

Excelerate’s Excell system, which combines a long-range cellular antenna with a bonded router that intelligently merges network links, was fitted to five EEAST vehicles as part of a live trial from October 2024 to July 2025. The results were striking: a 93% reduction in reported SVT connectivity issues, 100% connection success in areas with officially “no mobile signal,” and 64% of jobs reporting strong-to-excellent signal strength.

In one case, a crew in a coastal Chelmsford postcode — officially marked by Ofcom as having zero coverage — maintained uninterrupted video consultations throughout an incident, validating the system’s performance in the most challenging conditions. With 40% of SVT consultations now conducted from Excell-equipped vehicles, crews report greater confidence in mobile triage. One paramedic noted: “I didn’t have to do anything to connect – the connection was stable throughout. The Stroke Team could book directly into a TIA clinic, avoiding an unnecessary admission.”

“Reliable connectivity is essential to unlocking the full potential of this technology – and indeed, all remote care solutions. This trial with Excelerate demonstrates how connectivity challenges can be addressed, and we’ve shared our findings with other UK Ambulance Service NHS Trusts as part of our ongoing collaboration.”

Brittany Farthing, Clinical Lead for Stroke Video Triage at EEAST.

Bethan Evans, Chief Operating Officer at Excelerate Technology, added: “The success of the Excell trial proves that robust mobile communications are not a luxury, but a clinical necessity. Reliable communication is non-negotiable in stroke response, and this deployment shows how technology can support faster triage decisions, improve patient outcomes, and ease the burden on hospital services. We now aim to extend this capability to other ambulance services and NHS settings where connectivity can save lives.”

With the trial’s success, the East of England is setting a precedent for how cutting-edge communications technology can transform frontline emergency care — especially where every second counts.

Excelerate is a Premier Partner at The Emergency Tech Show 2025 at the NEC on 17-18 September, and will be exhibiting in Hall 4, Stand C140. Check out the full exhibitor list here. And check out Lanna Deamer’s recent interview with the Excelerate team to find out more about how the company keeps emergency teams connected wherever they are.