NHS Lanarkshire tops stroke care services

NHS Lanarkshire, which covers Rutherglen, is one of the best performing health boards for stroke services.

The figures were released in the Scottish Stroke Care Audit ( SSCA) National Report. The SSCA monitors the quality of care of over 13,000 people seen in hospitals in Scotland yearly.

Katrina Brennan, NHS Lanarkshire stroke managed clinical network ( MCN) manager, said: “The most important indicator of the performance of stroke services is the performance against the Stroke Care Bundle.

“The Scottish Stroke Care Bundle measures four components of stroke care that every patient admitted to hospital should expect to receive.

“The Scottish average for individuals receiving the appropriate bundle is 65 per cent while in Lanarkshire we are achieving 83 per cent.

“The Lanarkshire stroke MCN team is very proud of the most recent Scottish Stroke Care Audit results.

“It is a f a nt a s t i c achievement and a testimony to the hard work of all the staff involved which ultimately benefits patients on the stroke care pathway. However there is still more work to be done as we are committed to continuous improvement and measuring the quality of care delivered to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate care.”

Each health board set its own target for improvement to be achieved by end of March 2015, currently only Lanarkshire, Western Isles, Shetland and Greater Glasgow and Clyde are exceeding their target.

Stroke is a key health issue for the people of Scotland. It is the third most common cause of death and the most common cause of severe physical disability among Scottish adults. The report also shows that Lanarkshire has a younger stroke population.

Dr Mark Barber, NHS Lanarkshire stroke MCN clinical lead, said: “Over 1000 people in Lanarkshire have a stroke every year and, contrary to popular belief, a stroke is not something that only happens to older people as about a quarter occur in the under 65s.

“It is essential people recognise a stroke when it’s happening and take prompt action. Delay increases the risk of death or major long- term disabilities, such as paralysis and communication problems. It is vital that the symptoms are not just ignored.”