One word: 'care' tells me they don't know what the fuck needs to be done. SURVIVORS WANT 100% RECOVERY: NOT 'CARE'!
GET THERE!
Roll-out of video triage could transform stroke care and save lives, urges new Stroke Association report
Use of technology such as prehospital video triage (PVT) could transform stroke care and boost survival rates of the UK’s fourth leading cause of death, according to the Stroke Association’s new report which comes ahead of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.
The Stroke Association has today launched Unlocking potential:
a bold vision for stroke care in England. The
charity’s report highlights both progress and ongoing challenges in
stroke care across England, revealing stark inequalities in access to
lifechanging treatments. It sets out key actions across the stroke
pathway, which could feed into the Government’s upcoming 10 Year Health
Plan, to ensure all stroke patients get effective prevention, treatment
and care, wherever they live.
The report, backed by Uma Kumaran MP and NHS Medical Director Sir Stephen Powis, spotlights innovative models and treatment plans which – if made universally available to all stroke patients - could edge closer to providing a gold standard of care for cardiovascular disease, including stroke. It would also bring the Government closer to its goal of reducing stroke and cardiovascular deaths by 25% by 2035.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, said: “Strokes are a leading cause of death and complex disabilities for adults in the UK, and the NHS is committed to helping people affected by this condition.
“As this report highlights, there is both the need and opportunity to improve stroke care in England. This includes supporting people to manage high-risk health conditions and improving access to lifesaving and disability-reducing innovations to improve the lives of stroke survivors across England.”
One example of innovation is prehospital video triage (PVT). This connects ambulance teams on the road with hospital-based stroke specialists via a video call to assess a patient’s condition and collectively diagnose stroke. This information helps teams decide which hospital a patient should be taken to should they need specialist stroke care. Tests to confirm stroke, including CT or MRI scans, can then be prepared for arrival as well as timely treatment and care in a stroke unit.
Following the initial pilots in East Kent and North Central London in 2020, PVT has been trialed in 16 locations across England including London, Sussex, Manchester,1 and East Midlands. Results found that it successfully got patients to the right place first time – whether that be a stroke unit, A&E or at home for those hadn’t had a stroke and didn’t need to go to hospital. With fewer suspected stroke patients being taken to stroke units, capacity was freed up to treat those who needed it. Feedback from patients and their loved ones has also been positive.
Speedy treatment for stroke is vital as lifechanging procedures, including thrombectomy and thrombolysis,2 work best the sooner they have administered. 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke is left untreated, increasing the risk of serious long-term disability and death.
Yet, due to a combination of NHS pressures and workforce shortages, these timeframes are often missed3 - only 3.9% of eligible stroke patients had a thrombectomy in 2023/24 against NHS England’s target of 10% by 2027/28. In addition, only 46% were admitted to a stroke unit within four hours of arriving at hospital, which further reduces the treatment window and the patient’s chances of recovery.
The Stroke Association is urging the Government to ensure lifechanging advancements, such as PVT, reach more patients. The charity is calling for this innovation to be universally adopted as part of a wider strategy for cardiovascular disease within the 10 Year Health Plan. This will help ensure more stroke survivors leave hospital on their feet rather than in a wheelchair.
Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said: “The 10 Year Health Plan is an extraordinary opportunity to transform healthcare and the many vital aspects which impact on the lives of stroke patients. Stroke rates keep rising, particularly amongst younger people, yet NHS pressures and deep inequalities in care across the country are failing patients.
“The Stroke Association supports thousands of patients and their loved ones every year, so we know first-hand the challenges that stroke survivors face due to the unfair and avoidable inequalities that continue to blight stroke care. Innovations such as PVT must be extended to ensure that every stroke survivor benefits from the incredible medical and digital advances we now have.
“Through clear steps in the 10 Year Health Plan, we’re calling on the Government to show the conviction and leadership needed to reset cardiovascular care and put it on a trajectory toward equity, innovation, and excellence across the country.”
90% of strokes are preventable and stroke used to be the country’s second leading cause of death. Following the Government’s 2007 stroke strategy,4 there was a 46% reduction in mortality from 1990 to 2010.5 To further reduce disability and stroke deaths by 25% by 2035, the Stroke Association’s report calls for:
- A fully funded prevention plan looking at risk factors for stroke, and their overlap with other conditions including heart attack and dementia. This includes regular blood pressure checks and encouraging those over 40 in England and Wales to attend NHS Health Checks every five years
- Universal 24/7 access to acute stroke treatments, including thrombectomy and thrombolysis
- Life-after-stroke community care so that every stroke survivor has bespoke support when they leave hospital. This must include a six-month review to assess ongoing individual needs – in 2023/24 only 37% of stroke survivors had this3
Uma Kumaran, MP for Stratford and Bow, is supporting the Stroke Association following her husband Jacob’s TIA stroke last July on her first day in Parliament. She said: “My husband’s stroke was unexpected and a terrifying time for our family, but thanks to our quick action and the incredible care of NHS staff, he made a strong recovery.
“But not everyone is as fortunate as us. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the UK, and too many patients miss out on life-saving treatment due to delays and underfunding. Like many in their 30s, we never imagined Jacob was even at risk of a stroke – he’s fit and healthy. But cases of stroke in young people are rising – one in four strokes occur in people of working age.
“The Stroke Association’s work on this is vital. Their report is clear - innovative models and treatment plans can transform stroke care and save lives. We must ensure these advances reach every stroke patient, wherever they live alongside the Labour Government’s mission of rebuilding our NHS. I’m so proud to support the Stroke Association’s work and raise awareness of what more can be done to transform stroke care and saves lives.”
Chloe Hodgkisson from Cambridgewas 37 when she had a stroke last year. She woke up early feeling faint, dizzy, and with an awful headache. She soon began feeling sick, struggling to move, having blurred vision, difficulty speaking and her face dropped on one side. Her husband Ben called 111 and, following a telephone assessment, an ambulance arrived 10 minutes later. Chloe was taken to hospital where an MRI confirmed her diagnosis, so she had a thrombectomy.
She said: “I instantly felt better after waking up from the surgery – I could speak, I could see, I could move my arms and legs – I was so relieved to have a conversation with my family again. It’s hard to explain to people who haven’t had a stroke or aren’t trained to understand it, but the trauma of it doesn’t ever go away.”
The Stroke Association supports stroke survivors and their families by phone, at home, and in the community.(But you're not really supporting them if you don't have 100% recovery protocols! Which means you are a COMPLETE FUCKING FAILURE!) Find out more at www.stroke.org.uk
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