Healthwatch Lincolnshire Stroke Report - Lincolnshire Stroke Services

An extensive report has been produced by Healthwatch Lincolnshire detailing a number of actions required to be taken by the service providers which include United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust and Lincs Community Health Services.  
 
Whilst a lot of positive actions were noted there were certain areas where services could be improved: 

• Communication in particular with carers and other family members   
• Clinical psychology to support the patient’s mental health following a Stroke   
• Access to therapies such as Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy was found to be inconsistent and highlights room for improvement in consistency and regularity. 

 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have guidelines for Stroke Care and Healthwatch tested Lincolnshire based services against this criteria. The project was conducted throughout 2019 with an on line survey carried out to which over 100 people responded. We also worked in partnership with organisations such as the Stroke Association and Carers First to contact stroke patients and their carers directly, as well as visiting stroke patients whilst still on the wards. This resulted in a further 11 face to face in depth conversations being carried out covering all aspects from the ambulance attending, to arrival at hospital and care on the wards through to discharge and recovery. 
 
A spokesperson for HWLincs said:

‘We would like to give special thanks to all of the Ward Staff for supporting our ward visits and to the Assisted Discharge Stroke Services Team, we look forward to hearing about ongoing and continued improvement to service provision for stroke patients’.