SHOCK figures released by doctors in Redditch and Bromsgrove show the local acute hospital trust is falling way behind government targets for caring for stroke patients.
Against a target of 90 per cent for direct admission to a stroke ward within four hours, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (WAHT) achieved just 7.8 per cent in June 2016 rising to just 22.7 per cent in October 2016.
On a second target that 80 per cent of stroke patients should spend 90 per cent of their time on a stroke ward the trust did better with a best score of 76.9 per cent (November 2016) but again this was well below the government target of 90 per cent.
For those at high risk of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) where a blood clot temporarily blocks blood flow to the brain before improving the figures plunged from a high of 62.5 per cent in April 2016 to a low of 4.5 per cent in October 2016, climbing to just eight per cent the following month.
The government target is 70 per cent.
Neal Stote of the pressure group ourNHS Worcestershire said: “We have had three years of centralised stroke services at Worcestershire Royal and this is the result.
“You wait and wait at the front door of a hospital that is simply not enough to be the hospital for the whole county. It just can’t cope and hasn’t done so for the last two and a half years.”
A report to the Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group and considered by doctors yesterday (Thursday, March 23) described the statistics as representing ‘a significant challenge for WAHT’ however it recognised that performance on TIAs since November had improved.
Bernice Jones, regional director at the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke is one of the biggest causes of disability, and the condition can be devastating.
“Stroke is a medical emergency, and when swift treatment is not given to those who need it, people’s recoveries are put at risk. The longer a patient waits for a brain scan, the longer it will be before they receive the right treatment, and they are more likely to be left with a serious disability as a result.”
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Since the last national Stroke National Audit Programme data has been reported we are making progress however, at any one time we have 15 patients in our stroke beds waiting for community rehabilitation care beds.
“We remain committed to improving our care and working alongside our healthcare partners to ensure that patients receive the best care possible.”
