The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) state of the nation reports on stroke services and care – Stroke Association statement

The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) has published two reports today (2nd December 2014) on the stroke services in the UK. The reports show that despite steady progress in the care of stroke patients there are challenges, in particular there are shortages of specialist stroke doctors and nurses.

Jon Barrick, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association said:

“It is very worrying that the organisational audit of stroke services reports major shortages of specialist stroke doctors and nurses. Stroke is an emergency and it can happen at any time. Patients should receive specialist care around the clock and a lack of staff will mean they will suffer unnecessarily. There is a considerable body of evidence showing the level of care you receive in the first few hours after your stroke, as well as in the longer-term, can make a big difference to your recovery. Stroke is the biggest cause of complex disability in the world but people are more likely to survive, return home and regain independence if they receive specialist care in a stroke unit and access to specialist staff and services when they leave hospital.”