'Postcode lottery' for Midlands stroke victims

Stroke patients across the Midlands are suffering a postcode lottery in standards of care, according to a new report. Dudley, Walsall, and Wolverhampton primary care trusts were found to be among the top performers.

This was rated on the services they offer to sufferers, including vital rehabilitation. But Sandwell Primary Care Trust (PCT) was rated as least well performing by the health watchdog the Care Quality Commission. Sandwell PCT said it accepted that it had "a lot of work to do."

Nationally, the commission found rehabilitation services after transfer from hospital were inconsistent.

People in some areas had little or no access to specialist community-based rehabilitation.

Only two-thirds of PCTs commission specialist stroke physiotherapy and less than 40 per cent of areas provided good access to psychological therapy or counsellors.

Commission chief executive Cynthia Bower said: "Stroke is the single largest cause of disability in adults and our evidence shows that early access to intense rehabilitation is beneficial to people's recovery.

"The level of variation is a concern, but the report also shows that the barriers to effective care after transfer home and around person-centred care can be overcome and improvements made, which can help people to recover from and cope with life after stroke.

"We expect to see local health and social services working with stroke survivors, carers and representative groups to agree and implement a plan to improve services, drawing on the results of our assessments of services in local areas."

Andy Williams, director of commissioning at Sandwell PCT, said: "We know we have a lot of work to do and have made it one of our priorities.

"We have invested in a number of developments including new clinics and some joint work with Sandwell Council. We have also developed a comprehensive action plan to improve stroke services, including extending hospital clinics into the weekend."

The Government has called for a more integrated approach to strokes that links hospital care with that provided in people's homes.

In October the coalition announced £70 million for re-ablement until April this year, rising to £150m and after that, £300m each year until 2015.

By Health Reporter Shaun Lintern