Stroke Improvement Plan

Annex 2 - Scottish Stroke Care Standards (2013)

1. Stroke Unit admission - 90% of all patients admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of stroke are admitted to the stroke unit on the day of admission, or the day following presentation at hospital, and remain in specialist stroke care until in-hospital stroke-related needs are met.

2. Brain imaging - 90% of patients have CT/MRI imaging within 24 hours of admission.

3. Swallow screening - 90% of patients are screened by a standardised assessment method to identify any difficulty swallowing safely due to low conscious level and/or the presence of signs of dysphagia on the day of admission before the patient is given any food/drink or oral medication. The result of the screen/test should be clearly documented in the patients' notes.

4. Aspirin administration - 95% of patients receive aspirin on the day of admission or the day following admission for all patients in whom a haemorrhagic stroke, or other contraindication, as specified in the national audit, has been excluded.

5. Attendance at neurovascular clinic - 80% of new patients with a stroke or TIA are seen within 4 days of receipt of referral to the neurovascular clinic.

6. Thrombolysis door to needle time - The MCN monitors the delay between arrival at the first hospital and administration of the bolus of recombinant plasminogen activator. 80% of patients receive the bolus within one hour of arrival.

7. Carotid intervention - 80% of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis have the operation within 14 days of the stroke event.