Stroke Association response to NHSE's Plan to Recover Urgent and Emergency Care Services

Juliet Bouverie OBE, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association said: “Today’s Recovery Plan comes at a crucial time - our urgent and emergency services are in crisis. Stroke patients regularly wait hours for an ambulance and we’ve seen a devastating deterioration in stroke standards. The Stroke Association has continuously raised concerns that this is putting stroke patients’ lives and recoveries at risk. This plan is the vital first step towards restoring emergency services and improving the treatment and care stroke patients receive.

“We welcome the promise of much-needed investment in ambulances and hospital beds, and crucially the system-wide approach to addressing A&E pressures. This is because so much of the problem is caused by a lack of available discharge, community services and social care. The plan also rightly recognises the importance of supporting stroke survivors’ recoveries when they leave hospital to avoid readmission.

“Stroke is a medical emergency and patients must receive fast treatment and care to give them the best chance of survival and recovery. We hope to see the plan’s two key ambitions - to reduce Category 2 (including stroke) ambulance response times and A&E waiting times - achieved, as this will undoubtedly improve outcomes and experiences for people affected by stroke.

“However, the delivery of this plan hinges on the upcoming Workforce Plan. The government and NHS leaders must urgently address staffing issues in order to make this plan a reality and support our incredible stroke professionals to deliver high-quality care into the future. We also encourage Integrated Care Systems to recognise the key role that charities like ours can play in relieving pressures on stretched services.”