Patient safety

02.09.20

New service established to provide personal specialised stroke care

Hundreds of NHS stroke patients have been able to access personal, specialised care following the establishing of a new service, through a partnership between the NHS and the Stroke Association, set up during the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result of Covid-19, people affected by stroke have been discharged from the hospital sooner than typically would have occurred, with this new service, Stroke Association Connect, providing support and advice in the early days following hospital discharge for stroke survivors.

As a digitally accessible tool, the new service allows stroke survivors to access this support without needing to leave their homes.

Patients are contacted for an initial call by a trained ‘Stroke Association Connector’ within a few days of their discharge from hospital. These ‘Connectors’ have a rich experience in supporting people after stroke and are in place to provide both reassurance and expert advice and support to patients.

Long-term support available to the patient will also be signposted, as well as the offer of a further call a month later to check in on the stroke survivor’s progress and identify any further support needed.

The new service has been established to operate complimentarily to existing rehabilitation services and ‘life after stroke’ care, which has continued to operate during Covid-19.

READ MORE FROM THE STROKE ASSOCIATION IN OUR LATEST EDITION OF NATIONAL HEALTH EXECUTIVE

NHS National Clinical Director for Stroke, Dr Deb Lowe, said: “As the NHS responded to the biggest health challenge in a century, treating over 108,000 people in hospitals with coronavirus, the NHS continued to deliver essential treatment to people having strokes.

“Follow up care is vital for recovery and so this new lifeline will be invaluable to support rebuilding lives after stroke.

“Please remember, if you are worried that you are having a stroke, please call 999 as your NHS is here to support you.”

Juliet Bouverie OBE, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, added: “Stroke is the single biggest cause of adult disability in the UK, resulting in significant mental and physical challenges. We’ve been working with NHS England to improve the support stroke survivors get after leaving hospital.

“By reaching out to stroke survivors during the early days of their recovery, we can help to stop a small problem from snowballing into a crisis.

“Following a rapid test phase in April and May 2020, we are now encouraging referrals from all areas across England where there is no existing Stroke Association Stroke Recovery Service or equivalent.

“During this pandemic, we are determined to make sure that stroke survivors don’t experience a crisis in their recovery. With our expertise, we are well positioned to help stroke survivors rebuild their lives.”

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