National Stroke Foundation chief executive Erin Lalor says stroke is a neglected health crisis.
EXCLUSIVE
CRITICAL rehabilitation services for patients who have suffered a stroke are unavailable or substandard, a national audit has shown.
Fifty per cent of hospitals did not routinely provide a discharge plan for stroke patients, according to a National Stroke Foundation audit of rehabilitation services at 111 hospitals.
It found that one in three patients were not referred for further rehabilitation on discharge from hospital - nor did they receive tailored information about stroke recovery.
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Two in three patients did not receive formal counselling, and half did not undergo any mood assessment.
About 350,000 Australians are living with stroke, making it the country's second-biggest cause of death and a major cause of adult disability.
The audit examined treatment provided to 2821 patients across Australia last year.
National Stroke Foundation chief executive Erin Lalor said the figures showed that people were suffering unnecessarily because stroke rehabilitation services were too often inadequate.
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Health services failing stroke patients