Deans' stroke musings: Government plans risk ‘diluting’ focus on stroke

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Friday, July 11, 2025

Government plans risk ‘diluting’ focus on stroke - Scotland

YOU have to get involved and change the focus for all of this from 'care' to recovery!

Government plans risk ‘diluting’ focus on stroke

A national charity has warned Scottish government plans to bring together all long term conditions under a single policy framework could risk sidelining urgent, lifesaving treatment for stroke patients.

The Stroke Association has raised its concerns in response to a consultation on a proposed Long Term Conditions Framework, which aims to improve early identification and care(NOT RECOVERY!) through a unified strategy for chronic condition management.

While welcoming the ambition to improve care(NOT RECOVERY!) coordination, the charity cautions a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach could ‘dilute’ hard-won progress in stroke policy and put at risk the delivery of improvements to stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) the government committed to as recently as 2023.

A key concern for the charity is a potential loss of momentum in the national rollout of thrombectomy, a lifesaving treatment to remove blood clots which reduces the chances of long-term disability after a stroke.

Just one in seven eligible people underwent the procedure in 2023. The Scottish government has said it is “determined” to expand and increase access to thrombectomy services.

John Watson, Associate Director of the Stroke Association in Scotland, told healthandcare.scot the unique nature of stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) merits targeted attention:

“Stroke is a medical emergency, with specific characteristics and clear differences from other chronic conditions, including the need for time-critical treatment to save lives and prevent disability.

“We are concerned that urgent procedures, such as thrombectomy, would get lost under a generalised Long Term Conditions Framework. As stroke can leave people unable to move, see, speak or even swallow, rehabilitation also has specific traits and needs that are different to other kinds of support.

“Stroke policy has been a focus for the Scottish government in recent years. Any combined framework must take care not to undermine this commendable progress.”

John Watson Stroke Association — ^{John Watson, Associate Director of Stroke Association in Scotland}

Stroke affects more than 10,000 people a year in Scotland and it remains a leading cause of death and disability.

It is currently designated by the Scottish government as a ‘clinical priority’ – a status it shares with other conditions including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Under the classification, stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) improvements receive focused planning, dedicated civil servant support and ring-fenced funding.

In its consultation response, the Stroke Association says this hard-fought status must be protected and it will ‘vehemently oppose’ any attempt to remove it.

The charity also highlights ongoing issues with care(NOT RECOVERY!) quality, stating many stroke patients still do not receive the standard of care(NOT RECOVERY!) they are entitled to – making the case for more prioritisation, not less.

While the Stroke Association acknowledges a Long Term Conditions Framework could foster greater collaboration, it says current proposals lack the necessary detail to reassure them stroke-specific commitments made in the 2023 dedicated stroke improvement plan will be maintained.

This includes increasing access to rehabilitation and psychological care(NOT RECOVERY!) for people after they have a stroke, as well as making sure healthcare staff involved in stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) have received the most up-to-date training.

A Scottish government spokesperson said the consultation process is ongoing and all views are being carefully considered, adding:

“The framework aims to encourage fairer care(NOT RECOVERY!) across all long term health conditions, better recognising that many people need the same type of support regardless of their circumstances.

“It will also still allow for specific care(NOT RECOVERY!) and help where appropriate to build on progress through the stroke improvement plan.”