Stroke improvement plan: equality impact assessment

2. Background

Stroke remains a major cause of death and disability in Scotland. The number of incident cases of stroke in 2021/22 was reported at 9,589 with 2,157 deaths in 2021. Stroke mortality had fallen over the last ten years^[1]. In 2021, 3% of adults reported ever having had a stroke^[2]. Mortality rates, while higher in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, the gap has reduced over the last fifty years^[3].

The death rate for cerebrovascular disease (CVD), which includes stroke is higher in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived areas^[4]. A Scottish study from 2000 found that poorer socioeconomic circumstance was associated with greater stroke risk, with adverse early-life circumstances of particular importance^[5].

Scotland’s disease burden, including cardiovascular conditions is forecast to increase 21% between 2019 and 2043^[6]. A study from 2020, suggested that the strokes in the UK were projected to increase by 60% between 2015 and 2035 and that the costs of stroke care in the UK were also set to increase over the same period unless measures to prevent strokes and reduce stroke disability were implemented^[7].

As a result of an ageing population many people are living longer following their experience of stroke and require care and support for significant lengths of time.