Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support services for stroke survivors.

The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, run by the Royal College of Physicians and funded through the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, aims to improve the quality of stroke care by auditing stroke services against evidence based standards.

We know that when stroke survivors leave hospital, it is important that the right services are in place to ensure they have the support they need to make the best possible recovery. The audit shows that about 40% of stroke survivors are discharged with plans for on-going rehabilitation from a specialist team and that progress continues to be made in terms of the intensity of therapy provided by all of the disciplines (occupational, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy).

However, there is still progress to be made and the cardiovascular disease Strategic Clinical Networks continue to work with commissioners and providers to improve stroke rehabilitation services.