There are now over 130,000 stroke survivors living in Scotland, projected to rise to 175,000 by 2035
In March 2022, the Scottish Government published the Progressive Stroke Pathway. It's an ambitious vision document that makes clear what Health Boards must do in providing stroke services.
The document considers the whole stroke journey: preventing strokes, emergency response, acute medical care and rehabilitation both in hospital and the community.
The Scottish Government followed up with its Stroke Improvement Plan. This is a practical document, setting out the priority areas that Health Boards in Scotland must address for stroke improvements.
There are certain elements of this plan we particularly welcome, including six-month reviews for every stroke patient and prioritisation of the psychological and emotional impact of stroke. Despite a great deal of progress in some areas, huge challenges remain. It is essential that a 24/7 national thrombectomy service remains a commitment and we encourage the Government to publish their 'detailed plan for further development' of this national service without delay. Read our full response to the Stroke Improvement plan.
The Scottish stroke improvement programme annual report is the annual measure of how Health Boards are performing in stroke. Latest figures show that Health Boards are falling well below the standards expected in key area.
Our Associate Director for Scotland, John Watson, has made a full statement on the report.
