A WOMAN from York, who suffered a brain injury after having a heart attack and a stroke aged just 46, is looking for a care home after being in hospital for four months.

Nichola Phillips, from Tadcaster Road in York, had a stroke and a heart attack just two days before her 47th birthday, having previously suffered from an irregular heartbeat, and was taken into hospital on August 11.

READ MORE: New £1.9 million upgrade completed at popular York school

Her partner, Paul Hartley, 50, from Clifton, said he was the one who found Nichola and that professionals think at that point she'd been left for about 12 hours.

"I found her collapsed on the floor, we knew she had an irregular heartbeat, but it came out of the blue and was a huge shock at the time," said Paul.

She was rushed to hospital by ambulance, but sadly had sustained a brain damage.

Four months on, and Paul says Nichola is recovering well, but now needs to come out of hospital to receive specialist one-on-one care to help with her rehabilitation.

He said: "We have got NHS funding for her care, but none of the homes seem to want to take her on. 

"She can communicate, but she can't concentrate or hold a conversation. She doesn't know my name, and she's only said her own name for the first time in the past few days.

"Nichola needs specialist rehabilitation, not just to sit in a hospital room all day long.

"She can dress herself and eat and drink, but she needs 24 hour, round the clock care.

"When I speak to her I know she's in there, it's just teasing it out of her."

READ MORE: York City legend to get lasting memorial in York

Paul, who works full-time as a driver, said he isn't able to care for her at home as he needs to go out to work and she couldn't be left on her own. 

"She's from Bolton originally and has no family living locally. Her mum and dad are elderly and find it hard to come here. There's just me and her, and I have only missed one day visiting her in those four months," said Paul.

"It would be absolutely phenomenal if she could get the one on one care she needs in a local care home."

Paul said he's been working with York Hospital to try and find suitable accommodation for Nichola and has also been in touch with her local ward councillor, Cllr Stephen Fenton, to see if there's anything he can do to help. 

Cllr Fenton, Liberal Democrat councillor for Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, said: “As one of Paul and Nichola’s local councillors, I’m keen to do what I can to help find suitable accommodation where Nichola can get the care she needs and, importantly, continue her rehabilitation. I know from talking with Paul that the discharge team at the hospital are working hard to try to find step-down accommodation, as staying in an acute hospital bed isn’t in Nichola’s best interests.

"Nichola is relatively young, and this seems to be making it even harder to find step-down care as many facilities cater primarily for older people. And a shortage of care staff can mean that even where step-down beds are available, they can’t be used as there are not enough staff to provide the care.”

A spokesperson for York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Clearly we would like to see fewer patients delayed in hospital beds, whatever the reason, and we are working hard with our local authorities and other providers to work towards ensuring that only those patients who need acute care are in hospital.

"We need to make sure that patients who are fit to leave hospital are discharged safely and are able to recover in the right place, with the right support appropriate to their needs.”

If anyone is able to help provide the care Nichola so desperately needs please email phartley659@gmailcom