MINDFULNESS and Pilates classes are helping new Swindon mums who have suffered a stroke.

The Great Western is the only hospital in the region to have set up a Life After Stroke group for new mums hit by a devastating stroke during pregnancy or after giving birth.

Now, a specialist GWH nurse has won a national prize for her work with Swindon’s stroke-affected mums.

Joanne Prior set up the support group after realising there were four new patients in Swindon. Strokes among pregnant women are incredibly rare – with on average just two in every 100,000 pregnant women suffering a stroke.

Her six-week course helps the women adapt to life after a stroke, which can leave them with reduced mobility and trouble speaking.

The sessions teach relaxation techniques, mindfulness and Pilates.

Joanne, a community stroke coordinator at GWH, said: "It's been great fun and the nicest piece of work to do in all my 25 years as a nurse in Swindon.

"It's rare to have so many young stroke mums in one area at one time, so I threw caution to the wind and set the group up to offer help and support.

"The important thing was letting these ladies be mums - not just focusing on outcomes measures.

"We wanted to help them to grow as people and enable them to go forward and be the parents they wanted to be."

Now, her efforts have won her a top award at the UK Stroke Forum – a national conference that brings together experts in the field.

Joanne walked away with the National Stroke Nursing Forum’s Abstract Poster Prize, £100 and a demand that she present her work with the group to the conference’s experts.

She added: "Developing the poster was a great challenge and it has really inspired a lot of staff to be more creative and think differently about clinical situations."