Stroke is the third biggest cause of death in the UK and the largest single cause of severe disability. Each year more than 110,000 people in England will suffer from a stroke which costs the NHS over £2.8 billion.
The Department of Health recognised the importance of developing better stroke services by including specific milestones, targets and actions in the National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People launched in March 2001
Following on from this, the Government has launched a national stroke strategy to modernise service provision and deliver the newest treatments for stroke. The Government's target which aims to reduce the death rate from Stroke, CHD and related diseases in people under 75 by at least 40 percent by 2010 has already been achieved.
Published: 18/11/2009
A number of different clinical and pathway scenarios, and individual points of clarity have now been addressed to aid in the interpretation of the vital signs monitoring return guidance. However, several guiding principles have also been established based on the feedback that has been given to date: The FAQ does not deal with clinical issues (e.g. what is the definition of a stroke unit? or what blood tests should patients be given?) Those questions are addressed in the relevant guidance such as the RCP's National Clinical Guideline for Stroke (third edition) and The National Stroke Strategy. A revised version of the full Vital Signs Monitoring Return guidance for stroke has been published and is available on the Unify2 web-site. If you are in doubt about whether you are using the latest version, please download it again. Among other changes, the revised version contains more detailed information about TIA clinics. This guidance, like The Stroke Strategy itself, applies and refers to adult patients only.
The Act F.A.S.T. campaign launched in February this year with hard-hitting imagery to highlight the visible signs of stroke and encourage people to call 999 as soon as possible. Advertising to support the Act F.A.S.T campaign will recommence on Monday 9th November (TV timings below). The ongoing campaign is designed to inform the public about FAST – Face, Arm, Speech, Time to call 999. FAST is a simple test to help people to recognise the signs of stroke and understand the importance of emergency treatment. The faster a stroke patient receives treatment, the better their chances are of surviving and reducing long-term disability. Results show exceptionally high awareness of the campaign after the first burst of activity earlier this year, and a significant improvement in the public’s ability to spots signs of stroke. It is hoped that the Act F.A.S.T campaign will continue to help increase awareness of stroke, and equip people with knowledge about the signs of stroke so that they can help family, friends and others should a stroke occur. To watch the TV adverts see:
Action on stroke services evaluation toolkits (ASSET) have been created to help health-care organisations, providers and commissioners improve and transform stroke services for patients. We have now updated both toolkits to reflect the latest available data and the latest position with respect to relevant NHS bodies. These updated versions of ASSET I and II are available for download here.
The Department of Health is looking to appoint an organisation to host the UK Forum for Stroke Training (UKFST) and the Stroke-Specific Education Framework (SSEF) it has developed. This was done following the National Stroke Strategy's recognition that staff working in stroke have variable levels of knowledge and skills and that there is currently no quality-assured transferable stroke specific training.
This is an updated version of LAC(DH)(2009)2. It gives information about the scope and purpose of funding which DH introduced last year for all councils with adult social services responsibilities in England to demonstrate how to deliver stroke care for adults in the community.
The Department of Health are seeking comments on this framework, from a targeted range of stakeholders, by 12 June 2009. There was a stakeholder event on 7 May 2009. The framework has been developed by the UK Forum for Stroke Training following the National Stroke Strategy's recognition that staff working in stroke had variable levels of knowledge and skills and that there was no nationally recognised stroke specific training.
The Stroke: Act F.A.S.T. awareness campaign was launched by the Secretary of State in February 2009. The campaign aims to educate healthcare professionals and the public on the signs of stroke, so that pateints seek emergency treatment quickly. Fast treatment reduces the risk of death and disability. The campaign encourages people to recognise the signs of stroke and feel confident phoning 999 for an ambulance on detecting any single sign. Emergency action is as important for TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack) or ‘mini-strokes’.
The national Stroke Strategy confirmed the Department would commission a short analysis of research evidence in relation to the strategy and the top ten research areas identified in it. The report is available so that is can be used by researchers and those who fund research.
Following the launch of the national stroke strategy, Secretary of State announced that the Department would support 30 one year training programmes in the subspecialty of stroke medicine, Candidates are invited to apply direct to the host Deaneries. Further information can be found in the attached candidate information pack. Programmes will all begin during Autumn 2009.
Published: 31 July 2007
This best practice guide is designed to explain PbR in an accessible format for those involved in the provision and commissioning of stroke and TIA services.
Part of the UK Clinical Research Network, the Stroke Research Network will provide a world-class health service infrastructure to support clinical stroke research.
The National Stroke Improvement Initiative has been set up to support the implementation of the Department of Health Stroke Strategy and development of stroke care networks
