We are pleased to see mention of stroke in the NHS Long Term plan.  We often hear how grateful stroke survivors are to the NHS and the fantastic staff they have, and this plan includes positive developments such as:

• The plan to ensure that more patients will benefit from thrombolysis and that there will be a ten-fold increase in the proportion of people who receive a thrombectomy after a stroke
• Modernisation of the stroke workforce
• The need to improve post-hospital rehabilitation

You can read the plan in full HERE (Page 64-65 of the plan covers Stroke)

In a poll we have conducted this week of approximately 200 stroke survivors, 55% of people stated that improvements in post-hospital rehabilitation was the single most important issue for them.  Issues that have been flagged up by respondents include:

• Availability of rehabilitation which is not consistent across different geographical areas
• Duration of support not being long enough, often as little as 6 weeks
• Rehabilitation not always taking into account the specific needs of each individual – this is especially relevant for younger stroke survivors, with many feeling that rehabilitation models are often geared towards older people

In our poll, other notable issues for stroke survivors were the importance of people receiving support in a specialist stroke unit, and the need for improved diagnosis of stroke in younger people.

While there are positive developments in this plan, the key will be how this is implemented by local health systems to ensure that real improvements are made for younger stroke survivors, and we look forward to hearing more about this in due course.

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