Lib Dems call for better treatment for Strokes

Dr Charles West Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference this week called for better treatment for patients with strokes.

Speakers from the British Heart Foundation and the Stroke Association said that we need better prevention and more structured care for patients.

Dr West said "It is time we treated strokes with the same urgency and energy as we treat heart attacks. Stroke patients should be admitted direct to a specialised stroke unit. They should have a scan and assessment from a Speech and Language Therapist urgently, and they should have access to community hospital beds for rehabilitation.

"No one would consider treating a heart attack patient without an ECG. We should not expect to treat stroke patient without a scan. At present Shrewsbury's stroke unit only takes admissions in the daytime. Assessment from a speech and language therapist should be done urgently and rehabilitation should start immediately. Shortage of Speech therapists makes this difficult. As Shrewsbury has no community hospital any patient needing rehabilitation has to travel to the far end of the county. So both patients and family visitors are travelling up to 30 miles.
"Our patients deserve better."

For more information contact:
Dr Charles West
Shrewsbury and Atcham Liberal Democrats
3 Bellstone,
Shrewsbury
SY1 1HU
tel:   07775 800744
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