DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release (2007/0194) issued by The Government News Network on 9
July 2007
Government
launches consultation into future of stroke services
Our challenge is to modernise stroke services at every stage and
drive down death and disability caused by strokes, Health
Secretary Alan Johnson said today launching the consultation on
stroke services.
Stroke is the third biggest killer in England and despite more
money being spent on stroke care over recent years, care for
stroke patients is still lagging behind the other two big killers
- heart disease and cancer.
Stroke mortality is falling, with the death rate for those under
65 down by 23 per cent since 1993 but more needs to be done. We
began by focusing on coronary heart disease, the biggest killer in
the country. Now we must redouble our efforts in addressing the
challenge of stroke.
The consultation on stroke services
published by Heart and Stroke Director Professor Roger Boyle will
look at how the NHS can bring the standard of stroke care into
line with that of heart disease and cancer. The consultation will
shape the final Stroke Strategy which will be rolled out later
this year.
The proposals include:
- looking at smarter ways to prevent strokes such as providing
faster treatment for transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), also
known as minor strokes, which act as a warning that a stroke is
coming;
- treating the earliest signs of strokes seriously -
all too often the first signs go undetected resulting in worse
paralysis later for patients. People need to get into hospital, be
seen by a specialist and scanned within 3 hours,
- improving
care and support when people leave hospital - for example being
supported by a specialist stroke team in the community to enable
people to leave hospital and get home faster.
Visiting the stroke unit at King's College, London, Alan
Johnson said:
"Stroke is the third biggest killer in this country, with
50,000 people dying from it each year. It also has a devastating
and lasting impact on the lives of those who do survive, with a
third left with a long-term disability.
"Despite the considerable gains in developing stroke units
over the last few years, there remains more to be done to bring
stroke services in line with cancer and heart disease services.
That is why I asked Professor Roger Boyle to work with the experts
and stroke patients to look at how best we can improve prevention,
treatment and care.
"We have some world class stroke centres already - the
challenge is to raise the bar for stroke care across the country
based around the needs of individuals and their families."
Professor Roger Boyle, who will lead the stroke strategy, said:
"I want to see better public awareness of how they can
prevent strokes and what the early signs are so they get the
treatment they need in time. Getting proper, early treatment can
mean the difference between long-term paralysis or walking out of
hospital a few days after your stroke. It is vitally important
that we get this right.
"NHS services may also need to be re-organised within Trusts
or local areas to ensure that patients receive faster care. By
redesigning services so that people can be given the newest
treatments in specialist centres (including clot busting drugs),
1000 people who have a stroke a year could regain independence
rather than die or be left dependent on others."
Notes for Editors:
1. The consultation ends on 12th October. The Stroke Strategy
will be published after the consultation completes.
2. Alan Johnson and Professor Roger Boyle visited the world-class
stroke unit at King's College London.
3. A stroke is a brain equivalent of a heart attack. A stroke can
be diagnosed by using FAST - Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech
Problems, Test all three. If someone has these symptoms you should
call an ambulance straight away.
4. There are also Transient Ischaemic Attacks (or TIAs) which are
often described as 'mini strokes'. The term TIA is used
where the symptoms and signs resolve within 24 hours. A TIA
increases the subsequent chance of a stroke.
5. Mortality rates are falling: for people under 65, the three
year average death rate from stroke has fallen by 23% from 1993-95
to 2002-04, and for people 65-75 the death rate has dropped by 30%
over the same period.
[ENDS]