NHS repeatedly failing in care of stroke patients, watchdog says
According to the World Stroke Association, more than 12 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year and 6.5 million will die as a result. Strokes are one of the UK's biggest killers, causing about 34,000 deaths a year, and the single biggest cause of severe disability.
The NHS Fast campaign aims to raise awareness of the most common symptoms of stroke – facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech – and the need for prompt treatment, including transfer to a specialist stroke unit within four hours. Without it, a stroke can result in death or long-term disabilities such as paralysis, memory loss and communication problems.
Figures from the Sentinel stroke national audit programme (SSNAP), which assesses the quality of stroke care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, show that just 46.6% of patients are directly admitted to a specialist stroke unit within four hours of symptoms starting.
The ombudsman looks into cases where a patient or family has complained to an NHS care provider but been dissatisfied with the outcome. It is seen as a last resort once other complaints procedures have been exhausted.
The ombudsman said the number of investigations it had conducted over poor stroke care, including not spotting symptoms and delays to diagnosis, rose by two-thirds in the four financial years to March 2025, from 17 to 28. The number of complaints also rose over this period from 318 to 396.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, the chief executive of England's health ombudsman service, said these included repeated failings in diagnosis, nursing care, communication, and treatment of patients with strokes.
'Over the past four years we have seen a significant rise in the number of complaints and investigations related to people who have suffered a stroke, including typical and atypical presentations. This is particularly concerning as early diagnosis is crucial in giving patients the best opportunity for successful treatment and recovery,' she said.
'These investigations all represent instances where organisations involved have not identified a failing. It is important that the NHS operates in a learning culture and that when things go wrong clinicians recognise what has happened and put it right for those involved, as well as improve care and treatment for future patients.'
The ombudsman said clinicians needed to act more quickly when they suspect a stroke, even if the patient presents with atypical symptoms. They also should improve communication and collaboration to make treatment more joined up.
Juliet Bouverie, the chief executive of the Stroke Association, said the findings were 'deeply concerning'.
She said: 'Whilst dedicated stroke professionals provide compassionate care, without urgent investment and action, stroke patients will continue to face unacceptable variations in treatment and support. We're also calling for a wider cardiovascular plan, with a focus on stroke, to ensure stroke survivors have the best chance of making a good recovery.'
Prof Martin James, the SSNAP clinical director, said: 'In the national stroke audit we have seen a significant fall in the proportion of patients with acute stroke who are getting specialist care and treatment in a timely fashion on a stroke unit.
'We know that this reflects a whole range of acute pressures on hospitals that are not unique to stroke, but we also know how important that timely specialist care can be for reducing complications and disability after stroke, so it must be a priority for all hospitals to provide access to a specialist stroke unit within four hours of arrival for all their patients.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
The Salt Path author dropped by charity amid embezzlement row
The author of The Salt Path has been dropped by a leading charity after she was accused of embezzling £64,000. Raynor Winn's best-selling memoir tells the story of the author and her husband Moth, who decided to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path after their home was repossessed and Moth was diagnosed with a degenerative disease. But concerns have been raised about the veracity of Winn's account, following the book's film adaption, starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson. The loss of their home has been allegedly linked to legal troubles following the embezzlement of money, and doubt has been cast over Moth's 2013 diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Now, PSPA, a charity dedicated to helping sufferers of CBD, has cut ties with the Winns. The couple had previously raised funds for the charity, including a 2024 walk of the London Marathon route. A spokesman for the PSPA said: 'We were shocked and disappointed to learn of the allegations made about Raynor and Moth Winn. 'Raynor and Moth worked with many individuals and organisations since their first book was published, including PSPA. 'We received the family's need for support, and desire to raise awareness of PSP and CBD in good faith.' They added: 'Whilst we are thankful for the awareness opportunities their story has provided; too many questions currently remain unanswered. 'Therefore, we have made the decision to terminate our relationship with the family.' The charity said that sufferers of CBD in particular would 'feel angry, let down and eager for clarity'. CBD causes difficulties with movement, speech, memory and swallowing, symptoms that worsen as the disease progresses. Those with the disease have a typical life expectancy of six to eight years following the first onset of symptoms. Neurologists have shared doubts about Moth's CBD diagnosis with the Observer, which first published the allegations, questioning both how long he has lived with the disease and his ability to engage in long-distance walks. Sources also claimed the loss of the farmhouse followed financial difficulty caused by Winn embezzling funds of her employer. Ros Hemmings accused Winn of taking money while she worked part-time as a bookkeeper for an estate agency and property surveyor in Pwllheli, North Wales, in the 2000s. Ms Hemmings told the Observer that £64,000 was taken. It has been claimed that, to avoid criminal prosecution, Winn allegedly borrowed £100,000, secured against their house, and repaid the money to Ms Hemmings and her husband. This loan was later called in and their house was repossessed, it has been claimed. The Observer investigation also claimed that the Winns are actually called Sally and Tim Walker. Winn has branded the claims as 'highly misleading' and is considering legal action. 'We are taking legal advice and won't be making any further comment at this time,' she said. 'The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. 'This is the true story of our journey.' The author has been forced to cancel a planned tour of a show called Saltlines, a music and prose collaboration between Winn and The Gigspanner Big Band. Winn's team said: 'She is deeply sorry to let down those who were planning to attend the Saltlines tour, but while this process is ongoing, she will be unable to take part. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time.'
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Regulator warns of small risk of serious condition in people having RSV jab
The medicines regulator has issued a warning to NHS health staff about a small increased risk of a rare condition affecting the nerves in people vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare but serious condition which needs urgent treatment in hospital to prevent it progressing. It can affect people's senses, movement, breathing and heartbeat – usually starting in the arms and legs before spreading to other areas. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a drug alert for the Abrysvo (made by Pfizer) and Arexvy (GSK) vaccines for RSV after they were linked to 21 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults aged 60 and over. However, the Commission on Human Medicines still advises that 'the benefits of vaccination against RSV outweigh the small risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome in older adults'. In its alert, the MHRA said: 'Healthcare professionals should advise all recipients of Abrysvo and Arexvy that they should be alert to signs and symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome and, if they occur, to seek immediate medical attention as it requires urgent treatment in hospital.' It warned staff to be alert to the signs and symptoms of the syndrome. It added that there is currently no evidence of an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome in pregnant women following vaccination with Abrysvo, the only RSV vaccine approved for use during pregnancy. The RSV vaccine helps protect against respiratory syncytial virus, which can make older adults and babies seriously ill. RSV can cause bronchiolitis in babies which can cause breathing problems, while it can cause pneumonia in older people, both of which may require hospital stays. The Pfizer RSV vaccine Abrysvo is currently offered on the NHS to adults aged 75 to 79 and to pregnant women. The GSK RSV vaccine Arexvy is not currently available on the NHS but may be available privately in the UK. Symptoms of Guillain-Barre syndrome can include tingling, numbness or pins and needles in feet and hands, muscle weakness and difficulty moving joints. There may also be problems breathing and drooping face muscles or trouble swallowing or speaking. Up to June 2, the MHRA has received 21 Yellow Card reports of suspected Guillain-Barre syndrome in older adults (aged 75-79 where known) following Abrysvo. This is in the context of over 1.9 million doses of Abrysvo administered, it said. Over the same time period, the MHRA has not received any Yellow Card reports of suspected Guillain-Barre syndrome following Arexvy, however there has been very limited use of this vaccine in the UK to date. In the US, one study suggested Abrysvo and Arexvy were associated with nine and seven excess Guillain-Barre syndrome cases per million vaccine doses administered, respectively.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Charity won't give parents of dying girl, 2, £100k in donations
A couple whose nine-year-old son died of cancer and whose daughter is terminally ill claim that a charity refused to hand over £100,000 of donations. Kyle Morrison was diagnosed in 2019 with an incurable brain cancer. Before his death, supporters donated thousands to pay for potential treatment in the US and 'memory making' experiences for the family. However, the Covid pandemic meant that the family could not travel before the boy died a year later. His parents, Craig Evison and Victoria Morrison, went on to have a daughter, Ruby-Rose, now two, but she too is seriously ill with a genetic metabolic disease and is said to be unlikely to live beyond this summer. The couple launched a GoFundMe page — under the name 'Ruby-Rose's Making Memories Fund' — in an attempt to take her to Disney World. But when they tried to claim almost £100,000 left from the money donated for their deceased son, the parents were told it would not be paid because Ruby-Rose was not suffering from cancer. The parents have now launched a High Court claim against Gold Geese, the charity that holds the money, claiming it should fund their daughter's trip to see her beloved Minnie Mouse. However, officials at the charity have told the court that the money cannot be paid out because the donations were made for Kyle when he was a cancer patient. They argue that the funds can be spent only on medical trials or another child in a 'similar' situation to the couple's son. The judge, Marc Glover, was told that Kyle was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare form of cancer, when he was eight. A significant amount was raised through Golden Geese, which is based in Essex, and Kyle was scheduled to travel to the US for treatment in late 2020. By the time that pandemic restrictions were eased, the boy was too ill and he died in October of that year. The parents, who also have another son, went on to have their daughter, Ruby-Rose, in 2022, but she was diagnosed with Megdel syndrome, a genetic metabolic condition characterised by high levels of acid in the body, which is usually fatal in early infanthood. Representing themselves in court, the couple have told the judge that their daughter was unlikely to live beyond this summer. They said that the money raised for Kyle should now go to their daughter. Morrison told the court: 'We just want the money to make as many memories as we can.' But William Moffett, a barrister representing the charity, responded that the fund raised for their son could be used only for children with cancer, not other diseases. The lawyer referred to a contract agreed by the parents stating that if the money were not spent on their son's treatment before he died, it would go to a trial or the cause of a child in a 'similar' position. Moffett said that it would have been impossible for donors to the son's cause to have meant for the money to benefit Ruby-Rose, as she had not been born at the time that it was pledged. The barrister reminded the court that 'Gold Geese is a cancer charity, it's on its logo', before adding: 'There are other charities whose objects would include assisting someone with Ruby-Rose's condition, but it wouldn't be proper for Gold Geese to stray outside the illness of child cancer.' The charity's position is that it was behaving as it was 'legally obliged to do within the ambit of their purpose'. However, the couple insisted that the contract allows money to be spent for Ruby-Rose's benefit, as they maintained that their daughter fell into the definition of a 'similar' case, as stated in the agreement. The judge will rule at a later date.
