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Charing Cross and St Mary’s hospitals in top three providers of stroke care in the country, according to new national audit - 27 August 2010

The care provided by the stroke unit at St Mary’s Hospital and the two stroke units at Charing Cross Hospital has been ranked third in the nation according to the National Sentinel Stroke Audit.

The audit, released by the Royal College of Physicians last week, rated more than 200 stroke units on the quality of their stroke care including whether patients were seen in dedicated units and given life-saving clot busting drugs.

The three units are part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and include the newly designated hyper-acute stroke unit (HASU) at Charing Cross Hospital. This unit, which opened in December last year, provides patients in the crucial first few hours of a stroke with 24/7 access to specialised stroke staff, hi-tech CT scanning equipment and clot-busting drugs (thrombolysis). Once stabilised the HASU patients are transferred to one of the Trust’s two stroke units where they receive longer-term care and rehabilitation.

Since the creation of the HASU, the stroke team at the Trust has cared for more than 1,200 patients - double the number of patients it saw in 2009. This year to date it has also given life-saving clot-busting drugs to six times more patients than it did in the same period last year.

Lead clinician for stroke at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Dr Diane Ames said: “The creation of the HASU has meant a new way of working, which has improved the patient experience by having dedicated and appropriate stroke care which in turn has improved their outcomes

“I am delighted that the high standards of clinical care and the dedicated work of all our staff have been recognised in this national audit.”

The creation of the HASUs is part of the London stroke strategy, which became fully operational on July 19 and has transformed the way stroke care is delivered in the capital. The system expects to save 400 lives per year and significantly reduce long term disabilities associated with stroke in London.

The North West London Cardiac and Stroke Network (NWLCSN) supported the implementation of the system and the rigorous assessments that Charing Cross Hospital underwent to achieve HASU designation.

“The London stroke strategy provides the best in evidence-based stroke care to all residents of the capital,” said Dr Tony Rudd, London clinical director for stroke. “The data is unequivocal; this is a quality-driven system that is providing exceptional outcomes.”

ENDS

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