Stroke support services in County Durham
Download (PDF 1.23 MB)Summary of report content
This report was written by Healthwatch County Durham following feedback from local residents on the topic of the stroke support closing.
The report was published October, 2017 with a set of survey work being completed beforehand. A total of 155 responses were gathered with these completed online, by post and face to face.
Overall sentiment was mixed, several areas of need for improvement were found.
A set of recommendations is included in the report. No response from related providers is attached, however this report was done in collaboration with local CCG commissioners and is likely to have been seen by them.
Summary of recommendations:
- There needs to be a clear pathway of support for patients who have strokes. This should include support for those who suffer from TIA.
- All patients should be given a care plan, either on discharge or shortly after they return home. Care plans should be discussed with patient and carers to help them understand what support can be provided. These plans should be person-centered and appropriate for the needs of the individual, we recognise that some will be very simple, but being personalised is so much more useful than just being given a leaflet.
- There should be clear and simple literature giving patients, families and carers information about the support available in their locality.This should include emotional/mental wellbeing support as many patients told us they had struggled emotionally to come to terms with the effects the stroke had on their lives.
- Patients should be given advice from appropriately trained practitioners about healthy lifestyles and what preventative measures they can introduce into their daily living.