PhEAST Trial: MCHFT Leading the Way in Stroke Research

Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation for Acute Stroke Dysphagia Trial

About the Trial

PhEAST is an international clinical trial investigating whether Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation (PES) is a safe and effective treatment for patients experiencing difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) following an acute stroke. Dysphagia affects a significant proportion of stroke survivors and can lead to serious complications including aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition, making effective treatment a clinical priority.

PES is a non-invasive intervention that uses small electrical pulses delivered via a catheter to stimulate the pharyngeal region, with the aim of promoting neuroplasticity and improving swallowing function. The trial spans sites across the UK, Austria, and Denmark — and Leighton Hospital is consistently one of the very best performing sites in the entire programme.

What This Means for Our Patients

Patients admitted to Leighton Hospital following an acute stroke who develop swallowing difficulties may be eligible to take part in the PhEAST trial. Participation gives patients access to a potentially beneficial treatment at the forefront of stroke rehabilitation research, while contributing to the evidence base that will shape future care.

Our Research Team

Our ranking as 2nd highest recruiting site internationally is a direct result of close collaboration between the Medicine and Emergency Care Research Team and the Speech and Language Therapy team. Recruiting consistently ahead of the majority of international sites is a significant achievement, and it is down to the dedication of:

• Mark Quiambao
• Kirsten Moore
• Alison Seiler
• Joanne Harold

This cross-specialty collaboration is central to our success in the trial and reflects the Trust’s commitment to embedding research into everyday clinical care.

Get Involved

If you work with stroke patients and would like to know more about the PhEAST trial, eligibility criteria, or how to refer patients, please contact the Research & Development team.

🌟 Good News Story: Leighton Hospital Helping Protect Babies Through Ground‑Breaking RSV Research

How local research is shaping the future of infant care

Leighton Hospital has played a vital role in a major UK-wide research study—BronchSTOP Season 2—that is transforming how we protect newborns from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), one of the leading causes of infant hospital admissions. As an active recruiting site within the PERUKI & BronchStart collaboration, our contribution has directly advanced the evidence shaping the UK's national RSV prevention programme.

🌈 Why This Research Matters

RSV can cause severe breathing difficulties in babies, leading to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Every winter, thousands of infants require hospital care for RSV. The BronchSTOP study set out to understand how well new prevention tools—particularly the maternal RSVpreF vaccine—protect babies in the real world, beyond clinical trials.

With RSV vaccines and the monoclonal antibody nirsevimab being newly introduced across the UK (2024–2025), it is more important than ever to understand what works best for families.

📊 What the Study Found – And Why It’s Good News

The study analysed data from 658 infants across 37 UK hospitals—including babies recruited here at Leighton. Key findings include:

⭐ 1. The maternal RSV vaccine works—and works well

Babies whose mothers received the RSVpreF vaccine at 28 weeks’ gestation or later were:

• 62% less likely to be admitted to hospital with RSV in their first 6 months of life.
• 77% less likely to be admitted in their first 3 months, when they are most vulnerable.

This means many more babies can stay safely at home instead of being admitted for breathing problems.

⭐ 2. Earlier vaccination offers better protection

Compared with Season 1, mothers in Season 2 received the vaccine earlier (median: 30 weeks), giving babies more time to receive protective antibodies before birth. This improved the effectiveness of the programme nationally—something that Leighton’s consistent recruitment helped measure.

⭐ 3. The overall UK RSV prevention programme is effective

When looking at all infants, including those who received nirsevimab, the overall protection against RSV hospitalisation was again 62%.

This confirms that the UK's combined approach—maternal vaccination + targeted monoclonal antibody use—is working.

👶 What This Means for Future Babies Born at Leighton

Because Leighton Hospital contributed robust, high-quality data to this major study, families in our community will benefit directly:

💙 Better protection for newborns

The research provides strong evidence to reassure expectant parents that RSV vaccination in pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of their baby being hospitalised with breathing difficulties.

💙 Improved clinical guidance

Clearer information about when in pregnancy the vaccine works best will help our midwives and clinicians confidently support mothers to choose vaccination at the optimal time.

💙 Reduced winter pressures

Fewer RSV admissions means:

• less strain on paediatric wards,
• more capacity for other emergencies,
• and shorter waiting times for local families.

💙 Helping shape national vaccination strategy

Because sites like Leighton contributed meaningful data, the findings will influence decision‑making across the NHS, helping refine vaccination timing and future RSV prevention programmes.

🌟 A Proud Moment for Leighton Hospital’s Research Team

By participating in BronchSTOP Season 2, our paediatric research nurse, clinicians, and support teams have helped answer one of the most important infant health questions of the decade - how to best prevent RSV hospitalisations in the youngest babies.

Every family who took part also made a real difference. Their contribution is helping protect future generations of newborns not only in Cheshire, but across the entire UK and beyond.

Jo Tomlinson, Paediatric Research Nurse, said:

“We’re delighted to play a part in research that directly improves the safety and wellbeing of babies. Local families have helped generate evidence that will benefit infants across the UK.”

The study was funded by NIHR, the Wellcome Trust, and national partners.

STAMPEDE - Landmark Prostate Cancer trial

The STAMPEDE trial has played a major role in transforming prostate cancer treatment since it began in 2004. Led in part by Professor Noel Clarke at The Christie, the study introduced an innovative multi‑arm, multi‑stage trial design that allowed several treatment options to be tested simultaneously. One of its most significant findings demonstrated the effectiveness of abiraterone, a hormone therapy taken as a tablet.

The research showed that two years of treatment with abiraterone could halve the chance of prostate cancer returning and reduce the risk of death by 40%, offering life‑changing benefits for patients and their families. These results contributed to the therapy’s approval for routine NHS use, meaning around 8,000 additional men each year will now have access to this treatment. Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust contributed to this important work by recruiting 89 participants and supporting their follow‑up throughout the trial period.

Carolyn Mansfield, Karen Hillyer and Annabel Plumb from the Surgery & Cancer Research Team

New Clinical Research Unit

Leighton Hospital now has its first dedicated space for clinical research.  Funded by the Clinical Research Network North West Coast, the old GP hot-hub portacabin outside ward 7 has being refurbished to provide a clinic room for research participants.

The unit was opened by the Chief Medical Officer, Clare Hammell, on 8th October 2024.

We have already used the unit to see research participants for trials in CCICP, Women's Health and Cancer research.