SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has described the inequality of care received by stroke victims as ‘unacceptable’ as a new report finds that, although stroke is the third biggest cause of death in England and the leading cause of adult disability, stroke appears to receive a much lower priority than heart disease or cancer.

Mr Bacon was speaking as the Commons public accounts committee published its report on stroke care. There are around 110,000 strokes each year in England and some 300,000 people are living with moderate to severe disabilities as a result of stroke.

Stroke patients spend, on average, 21 days more in hospital and cost the NHS £900 million more each year than patients with heart disease.  However, fewer than half of stroke patients will spend time in a specialist stroke unit, whereas all heart disease patients receive specialist care.  Additionally, research into stroke receives £9.4 million in government funding compared to the £52 million spent on research into heart disease. 

Mr Bacon, a member of the committee, said: “The inequality in care for stroke victims is simply unacceptable.  Strokes are the third biggest cause of death in England and the leading cause of adult disability yet, bizarrely, the Department of Health appears to have given stroke a much lower priority than other serious diseases.  This cannot continue”.    

“The Government needs to give stroke the attention it deserves and greater investment in research is vital if the NHS is to help more people survive and recover from strokes.  I am pleased the Department of Health has recognised this inequality and I urge health ministers to waste no time in improving the treatment of stroke patients”.

11 July 2006

See also:
PAC REPORT: Faster access to better stroke care
PARLIAMENT: Speed up stroke care, says MP