February 22nd, 2011
STROKE UNIT SHOCK
Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil has expressed concern at the poor record of getting stroke patients appropriate treatment at the Inverclyde Royal.
In a parliamentary question, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon admitted the hospital was failing to meet targets for stroke admissions and had the worst record in Scotland.
Only six per cent were admitted to the stroke unit on the day of admission to hospital and 18 per cent within one day. National tragets are 60 per cent and 90 per cent.
He said: “Stroke patients in Inverclyde deserve the same standard of treatment that is afforded in other parts of the country and it is unacceptable that we should far so below the required standard.
“While I acknowledge the renewed efforts by the health board to meet the national targets, I am concerned that we were allowed to fall so far behind other hospitals.
“I will be writing to the Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon to ensure this is monitored closely and ensure significant improvements are made.”
S3W-38446 – Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) (Date Lodged Friday, December 17, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17106 by Nicola Sturgeon on 15 October 2008, whether it will provide an update on the information provided.
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon (Monday, January 24, 2011): There is clear evidence of the benefits from ensuring that people who have had a stroke are admitted to a stroke unit as quickly as possible. In revising its clinical standards for stroke service in June 2009 to bring them into line with the new SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) Guideline on stroke management, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) set a more challenging standard than previously for admission to a stroke unit. The standard that NHS Boards are now expected to meet is that:
1. 60% of all patients admitted to hospital with diagnosis of stroke should be admitted to a stroke unit on the day of admission to hospital, and 2. 90% of patients should be admitted to a stroke unit within one day of admission.
Each Scottish hospital”s performance in relation to this standard in 2009 is shown in the following table:
NHS Board Hospital On Day of Admission (%) Within One Day of Admission
NHS Ayrshire and Arran Ayr Hospital 66 81
Crosshouse Hospital 55 71
NHS Borders Borders General Hospital 17 48
NHS Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway Royal 38 67
Galloway Community Hospital* 0 0
NHS Fife Queen Margaret Hospital 25 59
Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy 38 69
NHS Forth Valley Forth Valley 27 52
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Royal Infirmary Glasgow 27 62
Stobhill Hospital 18 59
Western Infirmary Glasgow 62 81
Southern General Hospital 73 79
Inverclyde Royal Hospital 6 18
Royal Alexandra Hospital 27 59
Vale of Leven Hospital 11 20
NHS Grampian Aberdeen Royal Infirmary 64 75
Dr Grays, Elgin* 0 0
NHS Highland Raigmore Hospital 17 40
Lorn and Islands Hospital 64 75
Belford Hospital* 0 0
Caithness Hospital* 0 0
NHS Lanarkshire Hairmyres Hospital 45 70
Monklands Hospital 43 80
Wishaw General Hospital 35 82
NHS Lothian Royal Infirmary Edinburgh 21 50
St Johns Hospital 28 52
Western General Hospital 38 59
NHS Orkney Orkney* 38 38
NHS Shetland Shetland* 0 0
NHS Tayside Ninewells 30 70
Perth Royal Infirmary* 3 7
NHS Western Isles Western Isles** 35 35