Hospitals hail stroke success

THE dramatic – and welcome – reduction in stroke deaths across Yorkshire is testament to the ability of the NHS to save lives when every aspect of the organisation works in unison.

From paramedics initially treating, and then transferring, a victim to hospital, to the dedication of staff on specialist stroke wards and the quality of the after-care, these figures show what can be achieved when there is a co-ordinated response to the needs of patients.

This is indicative of the National Health Service at its very best – and shows the invaluable importance of both early diagnosis and specialist after-care.

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As the third greatest killer, and the biggest cause of disability, it is imperative that NHS trusts continue to prioritise the treatment of strokes – the number of cases is only going to increase still further in an ageing society.

Apart from the obvious political considerations, this is a primary reason the coalition chose to protect the NHS budget in the face of unprecedented cuts elsewhere; it will be expected to treat even more people in the future. Yet, having brought about such progress on stroke care, this advance must not be compromised by future cuts. The stroke wards on hospitals should be safe; there is enough slack in the vast NHS bureaucracy for savings to be made.

There is less certainty, however, in community care budgets that cover home visits, meals on wheels and such like.

While this funding has been increased, it has not been ring-fenced. And, to compound the risk, town halls are now being required to squeeze their budgets by one quarter – with the bulk of the cuts being required by 2012.

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As such, there is a very real risk that social care will be affected – as one of the larger local authority budgets, managers will be expected to identify their share of savings and place an even greater burden on relatives to become carers.

This is why the Government needs to be far more honest with taxpayers about the future funding of health and social care, rather than simply cherrypicking those commitments that suitably reflect the political priorities of Ministers.

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