Glasgow stroke patients ‘failed’ for eighth straight year

A charity has warned that Glasgow stroke patients are facing ‘potentially devastating’ outcomes after NHS treatment failed to meet Scottish Government targets for the eighth year in a row. Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland has warned that four in every ten stroke patients in Greater Glasgow & Clyde didn’t receive the necessary stroke care last year. It comes as the latest figures released by Public Health Scotland revealed that the country has failed to reach its target of 80 per cent of patients receiving an

inpatient bundle for the eighth straight year. The charity says that the stroke bundle, which includes aspirin, access to a stroke unit, brain imaging and swallow screening, gives patients the best chance of survival in the critical hours after a stroke. In Greater Glasgow & Clyde, 59.1 per cent of the region’s 2,454 patients received the bundle. The charity says that across Scotland, 56 per cent of the 11,048 stroke patients received the care set by national standards. Joanne Graham, Director of Service Delivery at

CHSS, said: “While we welcome the number of strokes dropping in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and the increase in people receiving the inpatient bundle, work remains to be done to achieve the Scottish Government’s 80% target. “Unfortunately, this is the eighth straight year that the Scottish Government has failed to hit its own targets for stroke care. They are failing stroke survivors and our NHS colleagues in Greater Glasgow & Clyde who are doing the absolute best they can with the inadequate resources they’re currently

being given. It’s having a potentially devastating impact on outcomes for stroke survivors in the region. “We need the Scottish Government to build on today’s marginal progress and continue driving better outcomes for people affected by stroke over the next five years. “Investing in stroke services, rehabilitation and recovery support can improve quality of life, reduce disability and deliver long-term benefits for both patients and the wider health system. We know access to that support, as well as supported self management programmes and community services,

can dramatically improve quality of life and help people regain independence. “CHSS is already supporting stroke survivors across Scotland and we remain ready to build upon our current support in Greater Glasgow & Clyde to ensure more people can rebuild their lives after stroke, regardless of where they live or their circumstances.” Dr Claire Harrow, Deputy Medical Director for Acute Services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “Across Greater Glasgow and Clyde we are committed to improving stroke care for all our patients. “The

stroke bundle covers a range of important aspects of care for patients presenting with an acute stroke. Performance against each of these is monitored by each of our sector stroke teams focused on their own performance as well as areas for improvement and is overseen by the Stroke Improvement Group. “Some of the developments in progress include extended weekday thrombolysis hours at Glasgow Royal Infirmary site, from 9am-5pm to 8am-7pm, from 17th August. We have also established a common stroke imaging pathway, and are working

with the Scottish Ambulance Service to strengthen pre-alert processes so that patients are seen as promptly as possible on arrival. “We are grateful for the ongoing hard work and commitment of the NHSGGC Stroke teams across the health board who continue to strive to deliver the best possible care for stroke patients.” Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “We are focused on ensuring people who have had a stroke receive the best possible care as quickly as possible to enable them to live longer, healthier

and more independent lives. “Whilst we have seen an improvement in stroke bundle performance, we know there is more to do, and we will continue to work with individual health boards to drive up standards of stroke care, for example, through funding hyperacute stroke nurses to identify patients earlier in their journey and through the stroke pathway.” Stroke is still one of the biggest causes of long-term adult disability in Scotland. If you’re living with the effects of a chest, heart or stroke condition or

Long Covid and are looking for advice and information, please contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899. You can also text ADVICE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk .

Glasgow, stroke care, inpatient bundle, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Public Health Scotland, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, Maree Todd, Joanne Graham, Dr Claire Harrow