Stroke policy - Wales
In December 2007, the Welsh Assembly Government published ‘Improving Stroke Services: A Programme of Work’. This was in response to a Royal College of Physicians report, which showed that Wales was lagging behind the rest of the UK in its stroke care. Together with a commitment of £2.5m per year for three years it sets out targets to be met by the NHS to improve services for patients in Wales. These are set out in the points below:
* By December 2009 LHBs, GPs and NHS Trusts must refer all TIA patients within 24 hours of onset of symptoms to a one-stop assessment and investigation service in line with Royal College of Physicians guidelines.
* Admission of suspected stroke patients from A+E Departments and Medical Emergency Assessment Units to appropriately sited and staffed stroke beds or units by March 2009
* Development of a national protocol and quality requirements in line with professional body recommendations for implementation through local policy for a thrombolysis service (by March 2010)
* A national protocol and quality requirements, in line with professional body recommendations, for implementation through local policy for timing and range of rehabilitation assessments and interventions that should be available on transfer from acute stroke beds to rehabilitation stroke beds where early discharge home is not appropriate (by March 2010)
* The development of a national protocol and quality requirements in line with professional body recommendations, for implementation through local policy for multi disciplinary teams and multi agency discharge planning and care that include agreement of a long-term care plan with patient and carer, which can also include referral to:
- Rehabilitation stroke beds or discharge with management by a stroke out reach team/assisted discharge team and / or
- Community based specialist rehabilitation services, such as communication support, that are designed to meet the needs of all patients including those of younger people and /or
- Day hospital or out patient therapy
- Family and carer support and information for secondary prevention advice and on-going support within the community
- Specialist follow up for long-term support services
- Social Services for community support including home adaptations
- Education and support for self-help, including return to work, secondary prevention, medicines management and oral hygiene (all by March 2010)
