New quarterly figures showing the quality of stroke care in hospitals in England have been published by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
Hospitals taking part in SINAP, the continuous national stroke audit which looks in detail at the first 72 hours of care, have supplied information on aspects of patient care, including:
- How many patients had a brain scan within 1 hour?
- Nnationally, 35% compared to 33% in the previous quarter
- How many patients had a brain scan within 24 hours
- Nationally, 91% compared to 90% in the previous quarter
- How many patients saw a stroke consultant within 24 hours
- Nationally, 83% compared to 83% in the previous quarter
- Whether or not the patient is admitted directly to a stroke unit, and whether or not they reached the unit within 4 hours
- Nationally, 59% compared to 62% in the previous quarter
- Whether or not the patient received thrombolysis (clot busting drug) when they were potentially eligible for it
- Nationally, 61% compared to 60% in the previous quarter
- Whether or not the prognosis/diagnosis was discussed with a relative/carer within 72 hours where applicable
- Nationally, 90% compared to 87% in the previous quarter
- Whether or not the patient had a continence plan drawn up within 72 hours where applicable
- Nationally, 74% compared to 70% in the previous quarter
- Whether the patient was seen by nurse and one therapist within 24 hours and all relevant therapists within 72 hours
- Nationally, 58% compared to 57% in the previous quarter
- Plus other standards, which are included in the full results spreadsheet
The audit, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), is carried out on behalf of the Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party by the RCP. It is a continuous audit with hospitals submitting data on patients as they are admitted and treated.
Individual hospital results are available on the SINAP pages of the RCP website
For further information, please contact Linda Cuthbertson, head of PR, on +44 (0)203 075 1254 / 0774 877 7919, or email Linda.Cuthbertson@rcplondon.ac.uk