Stroke comments were unacceptable

Sir - The mealy-mouthed response of Ann Carey, Director of Nursing for Medicine, to the treatment received by a suspected stroke victim at Worcestershire Royal Hospital left me profoundly concerned. Ms Carey stated that she "would encourage all patients to highlight any concerns over their care to the ward manager or matron whilst they are in hospital". Any doctor or nurse should know that it is vital for anyone suspected of having a stroke to be fully assessed and treated immediately and the NICE guidelines state that a brain scan should be done within one hour of admission - not several days later. Every hour of delay reduces the chance of survival or recovery from the effects of stroke. Patients should not have to complain in order to receive a level of care that should be automatic. It is disgraceful for Ms Carey to implicitly blame the victim for not having complained while she was still in hospital, no doubt in a confused and vulnerable state. What Ms Carey should have said is that the treatment received by this patient was completely unacceptable, that this has been made clear to the staff concerned, and that she and other hospital managers have taken steps to ensure it will never happen again. What we need from Ms Carey and her colleagues is less PR-speak and more action.