Stroke
A stroke is a serious, life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
Stroke remains one of Scotland’s biggest killers and leading causes of disability. In the Scottish Health Survey 2020, 3% of adults reported that they had ever experienced a stroke.
We continue to implement our Stroke Improvement Plan (2014). The plan affirms stroke as a clinical priority for the NHS in Scotland and sets out a comprehensive programme for further reducing the number of deaths from stroke and improving stroke treatment and care across the whole patient pathway. This includes improving the experience and outcomes for patients living with stroke.
The National Advisory Committee for Stroke (NACS) coordinates implementation of the Stroke Improvement Plan. The Committee aims to promote Scotland-wide collaboration, peer support and dissemination of best practice.
The progressive stroke pathway (2022), produced by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke (NACS), sets out a vision of what progressive stroke care in Scotland should comprise.
The decrease in both mortality rates and the rate of new cases of stroke between 2011 and 2020 show that our strategy for tackling stroke is delivering important improvements for patients.
We are committed to continuing to do more to deliver the best possible health and social care, building on our progress so far, and to ensure that the issues we are focusing on continue to reflect current needs.
More information
Information about stroke signs, symptoms and treatment is available on the NHS Inform website.