Wales Update: It is an exciting time for Stroke in Wales with quite a few developments afoot.

Nothing exciting for stroke survivors, NOTHING on 100% recovery! You do realize survivors want 100% recovery? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO GET THERE? NOTHING?

I'd be totally embarrassed to put this out.

 Wales Update: It is an exciting time for Stroke in Wales with quite a few developments afoot.

Wales Update
It is an exciting time for Stroke in Wales with quite a few developments a foot.
Artificial Intelligence (AI – Brianomix) has gone live in 5 out of 6 health boards in Wales and is making
a difference in some regions already with thrombolysis rates improving in high double figures for
previously low scoring regions.
Thrombectomy rates are improving as well and are getting up to 2% on average. Patients are
transferred to Bristol and Walton from South and North Wales respectively to receive Intra Arterial
treatment. Some patients have also been treated in Cardiff where we have two INRs delivering a
limited service. Wheels are in motion for further recruitment and expansion of a Welsh
Thrombectomy centre.
The pilot of Pre-hospital video triage (PVT) was recently completed in Cardiff, South Wales with
promising results. The results were presented to the Welsh Minister for Health and Social care and
there is an opportunity to digitise the entire stroke pathway connecting all the various platforms on
to one interface.
Stroke Hub Wales continues to host and deliver the Masters in stroke research (MReS) which is well
subscribed through all disciplines of stroke in Wales. In addition, the annual Welsh Stroke
Conference is in its 22nd year and is being held on Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th June at the All
Nations Centre in Cardiff, promising yet another excellent programme with outstanding speakers
from national and international stroke community.
Wales is also at the forefront of contributing to international stroke research with notable
participation in trials including OPTIMAS, ENRICH AF, TICH 3, MAPS 2 to name a few current studies.
Welsh centres are at the top of the recruitment league tables for OPTIMAS and ENRICH AF studies.
Keep your eyes peeled for further updates from Wales.
Tal Anjum

New plan for Stroke care announced for Wales

 You have to intervene right now and not accept this plan. 'Care' is the key word invalidating the whole thing.  You want 100% recovery and the only way you'll get there is by screaming at the persons who approved this crapola and redo it all.  Unless you're willing to accept crapola recovery for your children and grandchildren. It is that important to get this done right so get it reworked.

New plan for Stroke care announced for Wales

Health Minister Eluned Morgan has this week (Wednesday 22^nd September) announced set out a long-term plan for how stroke services will improve in Wales.

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Wales and can have a significant long-term impact on survivors of stroke. There are currently around 70,000 stroke survivors living in Wales, and an estimated 7,400 people experience a stroke each year.

The new quality statement for stroke, which sets out the future vision for stroke services in Wales, has been developed with the Stroke Implementation Group, which provides guidance to the government, and key stakeholders including the Stroke Association in Wales.

It outlines how services will change to improve the quality of care and reduce variations in care across Wales. For example by investing in artificial intelligence we can help support stroke diagnosis, thereby improving patient care, and producing better outcomes.

The next steps will be to create a delivery plan which will be overseen by Dr Shakeel Ahmad, Wales’ national clinical lead for stroke.

Dr Ahmad will also be supporting health boards to develop a network of comprehensive stroke centres that work across boundaries to improve care from acute treatment to rehabilitation.

Working with relevant organisations and groups is a strong focus of the new plan to address areas such as public health, prevention, rehabilitation, care for those who are critically ill or at end of life as well as collaboration with other conditions such as cardiovascular, neurological and diabetes.

 

Health Minister Eluned Morgan, said: “Stroke can change people’s lives in an instant, not just for the person who has had it but for their families also. With the right specialist support people can make a good recovery. As a government we remain committed to improving support for stroke survivors and helping them rebuild their lives.

“I want to thank everyone who has inputted into the quality statement, the response to stroke care requires a partnership approach and I am delighted Dr Ahmad will oversee this important work.

“I look forward to working closely with all key stakeholders in the years ahead to deliver on the commitments within this important quality statement.”

Wales’ national clinical lead for stroke, Dr Shakeel Ahmad, said:

“The Quality Statement sets out a bold vision to develop comprehensive stroke centres with regional clinical networks that will enable stroke services to be more resilient, whilst reducing variation of treatment and providing timely access to specialist care from the hospital to the community.”

Director of the Stroke Association in Wales, Katie Chappelle, said: “A stroke happens in the brain – the control centre for who we are and what we do – and the impact can vary depending on which part of the brain is affected. It could be anything from wiping out your speech and physical abilities to affecting your emotions. But with fast, effective treatment and specialist support it is possible to make a recovery.

“That’s why we’re excited to see this new plan for stroke in Wales. While some progress has been made to improve stroke care in recent years, there is still work to be done.

“We are committed to working with all those involved in stroke care in Wales to make sure stroke survivors in Wales get the best possible level of treatment.”