Download or read book Progress in improving stroke care written by Great Britain: National Audit Office and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-02-03 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The National Stroke Strategy (2007) is a comprehensive response to the concerns raised by the NAO in its 2005 report on stroke (HC 452, session 2005-06, ISBN 9780102935707). The strategy has been underpinned by strong national leadership and performance indicators as well as £59 million of central funding over the first two years, £30 million of which was allocated to local authorities specifically to provide support services to stroke patients and their carers. The NHS is now starting to deliver better care from stroke services, and outcomes for patients are also improving. Patients treated in a specialist stroke unit are more likely to survive, have fewer complications and regain their independence, but in 2008 only 17 per cent of stroke patients reached the stroke unit within four hours of arrival at hospital. Brain imaging is also very important for stroke patients but many patients are not given a scan quickly enough and access at weekends and evenings is significantly more limited. There is better awareness of the symptoms of stroke, and that it is a medical emergency, following the Department's 'Stroke: Act FAST' advertising campaign, launched in February 2009. The number of calls categorised as being a suspected stroke during April to June 2009 increased by 54 per cent in comparison with the same period in 2008. But a third of patients are not getting a follow-up appointment within six weeks and only a half of stroke survivors in the NAO's survey said that they were given advice on further stroke prevention when leaving hospital.