The audit, conducted by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), has highlighted the need to make a procedure known as thrombectomy more accessible to reduce the chance of long-term disability after stroke.
Some strokes are caused by the obstruction of blood flow in the brain by a clot. Whereas the majority of patients with clots are treated with drugs that break the clot down, thrombectomy involves the insertion of a wire mesh into the body that traps the clot and removes it.
By removing the clot from the brain, the procedure carries higher potential of preventing some long-term damage to the brain, thus reducing the chance of long-term disability.
However, there is currently a lack of appropriately trained staff to undertake thrombectomy, depriving significant numbers of stroke patients from accessing this form of treatment.
The RCP has called for more staff to be trained in the procedure, with its potential use and accessibility being explored in new policies, while NHS England is currently drawing up a policy to see how thrombectomy could be used across the NHS.
Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway, said: “This report is concerning. It is vital that stroke patients have early access to the best possible treatments so they can improve their outcomes.”
The full audit report can be accessed at www.strokeaudit.org
