Last updated at 11:37, Tuesday, 09 December 2014
STROKE victims in Furness are not receiving optimal care, latest figures reveal.
Furness General Hospital has been awarded an E rating the lowest possible for its stroke care service in a specialised national scoring system from the Royal College of Physicians.
The data known as the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme shows greater access to a range of specialised help at the site could boost the number of people who go on to make a full recovery.
But George Nasmyth, medical director of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, the body that runs both FGH and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, said outcomes for stroke sufferers across South Cumbria were good but that improvements could be made to the process itself.
He said: We have made enormous progress in our stroke services, leading to us being rated among the best in the North West by an independent healthcare quality organisation.
Those ratings focused on the outcomes for patients, but these national audit figures highlight the fact that we still have more to do in terms of the process.
The data used to calculate FGHs overall rating relates to stroke patients being admitted to hospital between April and June this year.
The study showed not enough left hospital with nutrition and continence plans or were assessed for cognitive recovery.
The discharge process was also rated as E with not enough patients having access to at least 45 minutes of speech therapy every week.
Original post:
Barrow hospitals stroke care service given lowest possible rating