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Stroke patients lacking specialist careDate: 09/05/2007 09:24:39
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Stroke patients are missing out on the specialist treatment they need, a national audit has found.
According to research carried out by the Royal College of Physicians, a third of stroke patients do not receive treatment in a specialist unit, with less than 50 per cent of patients undergoing important brain imaging scans within 24 hours.
Wales had the worst levels of admittance at 28 per cent, with only nine specialist units in the country. Although national guidelines recommend all patients are treated in a specialist unit, yet these were not extended to Wales until 2006.
England's figure was double that of Wales, at 64 per cent, with Northern Ireland even higher at 73 per cent.
However, experts believe specialist stroke care still has a long way to go to improve, with the report revealing just 15 per cent of patients are admitted to a unit on the day they go hospital.
Following the results of the audit, the government has now promised to publish a National Stroke Strategy in order to boost the numbers admitted to specialist care units.
Commenting on the audit, Dr Jonathan Boyce, head of clinical audit at the Healthcare Commission said: "There is still too much variation, too many places and regions that are not responding as well as they could to minimise the harm done by this serious and common condition".
Joe Korner, director of communications at The Stroke Association said: "Many stroke survivors still experience long delays regarding access to scans and appropriate treatment in hospitals that do not have a dedicated stroke unit.
"We look forward to further improvements in emergency care with the government's forthcoming stroke strategy and strongly urge that these vital reforms are taken forward."
Stroke is the UK's third biggest killer and the primary cause of severe adult disability.
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