“DISAPPOINTING” stroke care at a Worcester hospital is laid bare in an independent national report.

Patients at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester suffer from a postcode lottery when it comes to stroke care, according to figures published today as part of the National Sentinel Stroke Audit carried out by the Royal College of Physicians.

The hospital is below the national average in seven out of nine key stroke care areas.

Of the 60 patients at the Royal surveyed:

• 56 per cent were screened for swallowing disorders within 24 hours of admission (national average 83 per cent)
• 55 per cent received a brain scan within 24 hours (70 per cent)
• 92 per cent received a physiotherapy assessment within 72 hours of admission (91 per cent)
• 85 per cent had a mood assessment (80 per cent)
• 71 per cent were weighed during admission (85 per cent)
• 72 per cent of patients received occupational therapy assessment within four days of admission (83 per cent)
• 79 per cent were given aspirin or clopidogrel within 48 hours (93 per cent).

The Royal’s sister hospital, the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, which is also managed by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, performed better in the audit and was above the national average in four out of the nine key indicators.

However, the final report of the National Sentinel Stroke Audit shows that care for patients with stroke is still improving nationally. Dr Charles Ashton, medical director for Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We are very aware of our disappointing results in this audit which reflects the situation in the summer of 2010.

“Since that time we have been actively working to improve our performance against key national standards and importantly improve the care we offer to our stroke patients.”

In April 2010, 22 per cent of stroke patients in Worcestershire were admitted directly to a stroke unit. By the end of March 2011 that figure had risen to 72 per cent.

During the same period, the percentage of stroke patients spending 90 per cent of their time in hospital in a stroke bed increased from 40 per cent to 71 per cent.

“Both were due to continuing improvements in the stroke pathway and the provision of additional stroke beds on the Worcester site,” said Dr Ashton.

“We have also moved from a 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday stroke thrombolysis service to a 24/7 service from April 1 this year.

“Additionally, there has also been investment to ensure that inpatients and outpatients receive timely CT scans and other appropriate investigations.”

Your Worcester News recently revealed plans to axe 16 acute stroke beds at the Royal, while increasing the number of such beds at the Alexandra in Redditch from 18 to 28.

The proposal has raised concerns about a possible delay in treating stroke patients.