2. Stroke services engagement
Voluntary and community sector

3. Overview
In 2016 there were 3,633 stroke admissions in West Yorkshire and Harrogate
Majority of people who have a stroke were in the 65+ age group with half aged over 75 years
Expected more people will have a stroke in the future
Stroke is a life changing event - the care people receive in the first few hours can make a difference to how well they recover
Recruitment and retention of specialist staff is a concern
Evidence from others areas suggest outcomes following hyper-acute stroke are likely to be better if patients are treated in a small number of specialised centres, even if this increases travelling time following the event. Ongoing rehabilitation should however be provided at more locations, closer to where people live, and they should be transferred to these as soon as possible after initial treatment.

4. Cont.… Need to make the best use of expertise and
advances in technology
Evidence from elsewhere suggests outcomes following hyper-acute stroke are likely to be better if patients are treated in specialised centres, even if this increases travelling time following the event
Rehabilitation should be provided closer to where people live.
We have to change if we want to further improve people’s quality of life with the resources we have available so services are fit for the future.

5. What do we know already? Demand for stroke care is increasing
Depending on where you live, some people may have better experiences and access to services than others
Differences may exist in outcomes and quality of services – e.g. how quickly scans and tests are done/reported (which help to diagnose and treat patients) may vary from hospital to hospital
Not all our services are currently designed to meet the new 7 day standards (access to skilled workforce, new technology, tests & equipment)
Hospitals are experiencing difficulty recruiting staff (nationally and locally).

6. What are we doing?
Consultants, doctors, nurses etc. looking at how services are delivered and how we can make them sustainable, whilst maximising outcomes for people
Continuing to focus on further improving care across the whole stroke pathway (prevention, specialist hyper acute stroke care up to the first 72 hrs of care, rehabilitation and community support)
Improving the way we detect and treat atrial fibrillation (which causes fast and erratic heartbeat – a major cause of stroke)
Seeking people’s views on how best we move forward, including staff, public, carers and VCS.

7. Cont.…
Currently 5 hyper acute stroke units in West Yorkshire and Harrogate
May need further work to ensure our services are fit for the future
We have talked to people about stroke services, for example in Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven and Bradford
Working differently offers us new opportunities to meet increasing demands and make better use of our workforce skills, technology
Latest guidance and learning from other areas also highlights opportunities to further improve our services.

8. What next…?
Focus on developing proposals to further transform hyper acute and acute stroke services so that no matter where people live, and no matter what time of the day, they are able to receive the best possible quality of care and outcomes 
Focus on further improving care across the whole of the stroke care pathway (prevention through to community care) so services are sustainable and fit for the future.

9. Important to note…
No firm proposals are in place and there is an honest and genuine commitment to connect and engage with staff, public and communities for their views.

10. Any questions?