Strokes- postcode lottery for stroke scans costs lives
Thousands of stroke victims die unnecessarily every year because access to the best care is subject to a "postcode lottery", campaigners have said.
Figures highlighted by the Stroke Association yesterday showed that patients in some parts of England were almost 60 per cent more likely to get a potentially life-saving brain scan diagnosis within 24 hours than those in other regions.
They also revealed that people suffering a stroke in the East Midlands were almost 30 per cent less likely than those in the North East to be treated in a hospital stroke unit with specialist equipment and staff.
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Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, today set out the Government's new 10-year strategy to accelerate the emergency response to strokes and improve prevention and access to the most effective treatment.
Mr Johnson said that patients suffering a full stroke should have a brain scan in the next available scanning slot during normal working hours, while outside these hours they will receive a scan within 60 minutes before being moved to a stroke unit.
Higher-risk people suffering a minor stroke should have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan within 24 hours, while patients considered "low-risk" will
have access to a scan within seven days.
Joe Korner, of the Stroke Association, said: "Stroke is the UK's third biggest killer. Despite clear clinical evidence that access to immediate brain scanning and admission directly to a stroke unit saves lives and reduces disability, current access to these life saving facilities is down to luck and postcode."
Strokes are either blood clots or bleeds in the brain, which can leave lasting damage including speech, mobility and sight problems. Approximately a third of the 150,000 people who have a stroke in the UK each year die of it.
A scan is the only way to determine what type of stroke the patient is having and the best way to decide on the most effective form of treatment.
Data collected by the Royal College of Physicians found only 42 per cent of patients in England receive a brain scan to confirm their diagnosis within 24 hours.
New treatments with clot-busting drugs - called thrombolysis - can result in a much better and quicker recovery.
However the drugs must be given shortly after the onset of symptoms to be effective, and can only be used after a brain scan.
An estimated one in 10 stroke patients would benefit from thrombolysis, yet just one in 10,000 receive it.
From:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/05/nhs305.xml
On 27 Aug 07 Health Direct posted UK stroke treatment is worst in Europe with hundreds needlessly dying every year- The UK has the worst outcome for strokes in western Europe despite spending the same amount or more on care as other countries, a leading article in the British Medical Journal warned.
And it is nearly two years since MPs in the National Audit Office pointed out that hundreds of UK citizens are dying needlessly and over a year since Health Direct posted on July 12, 2006- Stroke patients dying needlessly from Labour's health failures
Since then new Prime minster- same lack of compassion and urgency.
Stroke patients are needlessly dying or suffering more serious disablement because not enough priority is given to stroke services, according to a report by the Commons Public Accounts committee.
The report found that stroke is not treated as a medical emergency, brain scans for patients are often delayed and a significant proportion of stroke patients are not treated on specialist units.
Figures highlighted by the Stroke Association yesterday showed that patients in some parts of England were almost 60 per cent more likely to get a potentially life-saving brain scan diagnosis within 24 hours than those in other regions.
They also revealed that people suffering a stroke in the East Midlands were almost 30 per cent less likely than those in the North East to be treated in a hospital stroke unit with specialist equipment and staff.
advertisement
Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, today set out the Government's new 10-year strategy to accelerate the emergency response to strokes and improve prevention and access to the most effective treatment.
Mr Johnson said that patients suffering a full stroke should have a brain scan in the next available scanning slot during normal working hours, while outside these hours they will receive a scan within 60 minutes before being moved to a stroke unit.
Higher-risk people suffering a minor stroke should have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan within 24 hours, while patients considered "low-risk" will
have access to a scan within seven days.
Joe Korner, of the Stroke Association, said: "Stroke is the UK's third biggest killer. Despite clear clinical evidence that access to immediate brain scanning and admission directly to a stroke unit saves lives and reduces disability, current access to these life saving facilities is down to luck and postcode."
Strokes are either blood clots or bleeds in the brain, which can leave lasting damage including speech, mobility and sight problems. Approximately a third of the 150,000 people who have a stroke in the UK each year die of it.
A scan is the only way to determine what type of stroke the patient is having and the best way to decide on the most effective form of treatment.
Data collected by the Royal College of Physicians found only 42 per cent of patients in England receive a brain scan to confirm their diagnosis within 24 hours.
New treatments with clot-busting drugs - called thrombolysis - can result in a much better and quicker recovery.
However the drugs must be given shortly after the onset of symptoms to be effective, and can only be used after a brain scan.
An estimated one in 10 stroke patients would benefit from thrombolysis, yet just one in 10,000 receive it.
From:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/05/nhs305.xml
On 27 Aug 07 Health Direct posted UK stroke treatment is worst in Europe with hundreds needlessly dying every year- The UK has the worst outcome for strokes in western Europe despite spending the same amount or more on care as other countries, a leading article in the British Medical Journal warned.
And it is nearly two years since MPs in the National Audit Office pointed out that hundreds of UK citizens are dying needlessly and over a year since Health Direct posted on July 12, 2006- Stroke patients dying needlessly from Labour's health failures
Since then new Prime minster- same lack of compassion and urgency.
Stroke patients are needlessly dying or suffering more serious disablement because not enough priority is given to stroke services, according to a report by the Commons Public Accounts committee.
The report found that stroke is not treated as a medical emergency, brain scans for patients are often delayed and a significant proportion of stroke patients are not treated on specialist units.
Labels: NAO, preventable crisis, Public Accounts Committee, strokes
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