Charity says declining standards of care for stroke patients need to be reversed | Stroke

Ministers are being urged to improve declining care to reduce the risk of death and disability for stroke patients, as new figures show an increase in stroke patients, particularly among people in their 50s.

The Stroke Association has released the latest statistics from the country's largest stroke agency, the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Program (SSNAP), saying its standards have worsened over the past decade, leaving thousands of stroke patients without adequate treatment and rehabilitation. announced that it had not been received. Scope of data audit englandWales and Northern Ireland.

another NHS Analysis from England shows that the number of people admitted to hospital after a stroke has increased by 28% over the past 20 years, underscoring the growing strain on the health system. This included a 55% increase in hospital admissions for people aged 50-59, reaching 12,533 in 2023-24, the highest rate of increase of any age group. This increase is thought to be driven by obesity, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyles.

of stroke The association said innovative treatments such as thrombectomy and basic care such as hospital rehabilitation remained inconsistently provided in different regions.

Juliette Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: The recovery of too many stroke survivors is at risk as staff shortages, skyrocketing wait times, and lack of provision of basic stroke care compromise rather than optimize patient recovery.

“Change in government is long overdue and the 10-year health plan is the ideal opportunity to ensure everyone who suffers a stroke survives and stays well.”

SSNAP data shows that some fundamentals of acute stroke care are worse than they were a decade ago. In 2023-24, 46.7% of people were admitted directly to a stroke specialist ward within four hours of arriving at hospital, compared to 58% in 2013-2014. Longer waiting times significantly increase the risk of long-term health conditions and disability.

The proportion of patients spending 90% or more of their time in specialized stroke wards during hospitalization has decreased over the past five years from 83.2% in 2019-20 to 75.9% in 2023-24, a decrease of more than 4,400 patients. .

Latest statistics from NHS England show that response times for category 2 ambulance calls, including those involving stroke, have increased from 36 minutes 2 seconds in September to 42 minutes 15 seconds in October, which is the fastest time for hospital arrivals. It has been revealed that this slows down the flow of blood and causes strokes. If a stroke is left untreated, cells die every minute.

SSNAP data shows 3.9% of stroke patients underwent thrombectomy last year, well below NHS England's target of 10% by 2027-28. About 20% of stroke patients are eligible for thrombolysis, a treatment that dissolves blood clots, but in 2023-2024, only 11.6% of patients received it on average.

The Stroke Association is calling on the government to invest in stroke prevention, including regular blood pressure checks. Supports 24/7 universal access to acute stroke units and the provision of stroke treatments such as thrombectomy and thrombolytic therapy. and more funding for in-hospital and community rehabilitation services.

Eight years ago, Phil Woodford, 53, from Preston, suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a type of mild stroke, and a full stroke the next day. He underwent thrombolytic therapy, but was unable to undergo clot removal because his local hospital was closed on weekends, which may have compromised his quality of life, he said. I'm thinking.

he said: “My life changed overnight. It took four months of rehabilitation in the hospital and then another four months before I could go back to work. My stroke caused musculoskeletal problems, permanent pain, And now I can't move, which has caused me to gain weight. I walk with a limp, and my left arm sometimes moves on its own and I suffer from spasms and spasms.”

Department of health And a social care spokesperson said: 'It is unacceptable that so many stroke survivors are not receiving the support and care they need to recover. We are working to improve the quality of our products.

“We are introducing workplace health checks and high street blood pressure tests to detect disease early, and we are also working to prevent strokes in the first place by tackling the biggest contributing factors, such as smoking and obesity. I'm here.

“As part of our 10-year health plan, we will deliver the investment and reforms needed to rebuild our NHS, including shifting the focus of care from treatment to prevention.