By Bill Heaney
The SNP have been accused of letting down stroke victims across Scotland, in the wake of figures highlighting the “dangerous and intolerable” delays experienced by patients for basic treatment.
Public Health Scotland’s response to a Scottish Conservative Freedom of Information request reveals that some patients are waiting days for treatment that should be provided within hours, while others are waiting weeks to be admitted to specialist units.
Among the most alarming findings was the following:
- A patient at Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee Hospital waited 27 days for admission to a stroke unit, rather than the recommended 24 hours
Roz McCall, Scottish Conservative MSP, says the delays highlighted were “terrifying and potentially life-threatening”, and symptomatic of the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS.
Scottish Conservative MSP Roz McCall, LEFT, added: “These delays are dangerous and intolerable for stroke victims.
“Having seen my husband Graeme suffer a stroke in early 2021, I know how crucial speed of response is in tackling this awful condition.
“In fact, the Stroke Association and others use the acronym FAST to educate people on the symptoms and remind them of the importance of acting immediately.
“Time is hugely significant for a patient’s prospects of recovery, so these delays for basic treatments and assessments, such as thrombolysis and swallow screening, are terrifying and potentially life-threatening.
“Despite their best efforts, frontline staff are overstretched, due to the dire workforce planning of successive SNP health secretaries and Humza Yousaf’s flimsy recovery plan, while patients are being endangered by the inability of the NHS to cope with what ought to be urgent, priority cases.
“Under the SNP’s watch, years of mismanagement and a failure to direct resources effectively have brought Scotland’s NHS near breaking point. Immediate action must be taken, if more lives are not to be put at unnecessary risk as winter approaches.”
Roz McCall’s husband Graeme suffered a stroke in February 2021: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/perthshire-politician-highlights-how-recognise-25278287
The Scottish Stroke Care Audit sets standards for stroke care in Scotland. 90% of patients should have access to a stroke unit within 1 day of admission to hospital, 90% of patients have CT/ MRI imaging within 12 hours of arrival at hospital, 100% of appropriate patients are screened by a standardised assessment method to identify any difficulty swallowing safely within 4 hours of arrival at hospital and 80% of patients receive thrombolysis within one hour of arrival. (Scottish Stroke Care Audit Standards, Accessed 28 July 2023, link).
This data was obtained from Public Health Scotland. PHS collates data on stroke standards centrally, and provided data on all 14 health boards. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 July 2023, available on request).
In 2022, one patient at the Golden Jubilee Hospital waited 27 days to be admitted to a stroke unit. So far in 2023, one person waited 22 days in Grampian. 90% of patients should have access to a stroke unit within one day of admission to hospital. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 July 2023, Available on Request; Scottish Stroke Care Audit Standards, Accessed 28 July 2023, link).
In 2022, one patient in Shetland waited 12 days for a brain scan. So far in 2023, one person waited seven days in Grampian. 90% of patients should have CT/ MRI imaging within 12 hours of arrival at hospital. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 July 2023, Available on Request; Scottish Stroke Care Audit Standards, Accessed 28 July 2023, link).
In 2022, one patient in Shetland waited 13 days for a swallow screening. So far in 2023, one person waited seven days in Fife. 100% of appropriate patients should be screened by a standardised assessment method to identify any difficulty swallowing safely within four hours of arrival at hospital. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 July 2023, Available on Request; Scottish Stroke Care Audit Standards, Accessed 28 July 2023, link).
So far in 2023, one patient in Lothian waited four hours and 25 minutes for a thrombectomy. In 2022, one person waited four hours and one minute in the Western Isles. Thrombolysis involves administering a drug to the patient which dissolves blood clots and restores blood flow to the brain. 80% of patients should receive thrombolysis within one hour of arrival at hospital. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 28 July 2023, Available on Request; NHS, Accessed 28 July 2023, link; Scottish Stroke Care Audit Standards, Accessed 28 July 2023, link).