SPECIALISED STROKE SERVICES

Early day motion 148, tabled 27 November 2003 by Jim Cunningham (Labour). Signed by 88 members.

That this House supports The Stroke Association's, Why Are We Waiting?, campaign which calls for all stroke patients to be treated in a stroke unit by a multidisciplinary team specialising in stroke, seamless transfers of care from hospital to the community, and GPs to set up stroke registers in order to identify and treat those at risk from stroke; welcomes assurances given by the Secretary of State for Health and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health that, by April 2004, 171 out of 181 hospitals will be providing specialist stroke services with teams of dedicated health professionals in place with expertise in this area; notes the most recent figures from the Royal College of Physicians' National Stroke Audit that only 36 per cent. of stroke patients are currently treated in a stroke unit; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to ensure that all hospitals have sufficient capacity built into their stroke services to meet the needs of all stroke patients.

Signatures by party: Labour 58, Liberal Democrat 16, Conservative 5, Labour/Co-operative 4, DUP 2, Plaid Cymru 2, UUP 1.