Name the Stroke Association Manifesto 2010 to 2015 Working for a World Where There Are Fewer Strokes and All Those Touched by St
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Name First para Other paras 2010 2015 The Stroke Association Manifesto 2010 to 2015 Working for a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need 2010 A stroke is a brain attack 2015 A stroke is what Types of stroke happens when the • An ischaemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, blood supply to the happens when a clot blocks an artery that supplies blood brain is cut and brain to the brain. cells die. Because • A haemorrhagic stroke is caused by a bleed in the brain. the brain controls • A transient ischaemic attack (TIA), often called a mini-stroke, happens when the brain’s blood supply is everything we do, briefly interrupted. Although the symptoms of a TIA, which think and feel – things are very similar to a full stroke, are temporary and disappear within 24 hours, having a TIA indicates an increased risk of we take for granted, a more serious stroke in the future. like being able to Common symptoms of stroke move, balance, speak, understand, The first signs that someone has had a stroke can include: remember, see and • sudden numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm hear – the brain or leg on one side of the body damage caused by • sudden difficulty in speaking or understanding speech a stroke can be • sudden loss or blurring of vision, in one or both eyes devastating. • sudden severe headache with no apparent reason • sudden confusion, dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other signs listed above. The FAST stroke recognition test F – Facial weakness Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eyelid drooped? A – Arm weakness Can the person raise both arms? S – Speech problems Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? T – Time to call 999 If you see any of these signs call 999 because stroke is a medical emergency. 2 The Stroke Association Contents Our vision Introduction 4 We want a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke Stroke prevention 6 get the help they need. Our mission Emergency and acute stroke care 8 Our mission is to prevent strokes and Life after stroke – from the achieve life after stroke by providing services, campaigning, education hospital into the community 10 and research. Our values Life after stroke – long-term support 12 Our core values are based on Children and stroke 14 professionalism, passion for our cause, innovation, respect and openness, and working together to Conclusions 16 build successful partnerships in pursuit of common goals. References 18 Our services As well as campaigning for better stroke care across the whole of the stroke care pathway, we provide direct help to stroke survivors and their carers and families through our own range of Life After Stroke Services. 3 2010 Introduction 2015 Every year in the UK Stroke is the biggest single cause of severe disability2 and the UK’s third biggest killer.3 Stroke cost the economy an over 150,000 people estimated £8 billion in 2008/09 in England alone4 and it is have a stroke or mini likely that it costs proportionate amounts in the other three stroke, a transient countries of the UK.* There is widespread public misunderstanding about stroke ischaemic attack which may lead people to underestimate the impact of stroke (TIA).1 That’s one on their own families, on health and social services and on society as a whole. And people don’t realise that there is a stroke every five huge amount that could be done to transform the prospects minutes. for people affected by stroke. There is a wealth of evidence to show how, as a society, we could prevent tens of thousands of strokes each year, save thousands from dying from stroke, dramatically reduce the number of people with severe disabilities due to stroke, and maximise the independence of many thousands more.5 In 2005 we published The Stroke Association Manifesto, with ambitious objectives based on that evidence. Since then, our campaigning efforts, collaboration with others and the consensus for change that we have spearheaded, have all supported progress on stroke care across the UK. Virtually all of our 2005 demands are now, at least, policy commitments for the NHS in all four countries of the UK. Each of the four countries now has a strategy or action plan for stroke. In England stroke is defined as a national priority in the NHS Operating Framework. In Scotland stroke continues to be a clinical priority for the NHS and in Northern Ireland it is a key health priority. We would like to see this continue and for a similar commitment to be put in place in Wales. We welcome the inclusion of time bound targets in the Northern Ireland strategy and in Wales and would like to see similar commitments across the UK. * This manifesto addresses issues of relevance to all four administrations of the UK – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – as we strive to encourage improvements in stroke care across the UK. Whilst examples of existing stroke policy and practice are cited, we recognise that responsibility for change rests with each devolved administration, with the exception of reserved matters such as welfare benefits. The word country is used in this manifesto to mean a devolved administration as this reflects common usage of the term, even though devolved administrations are not countries or nations in the legal sense. 4 We have started to see real improvements in stroke care in Funding We believe that a many places but we now need to see those policy continuation of ring-fenced funding commitments translated into action in every part of the UK for stroke in England and the so that everyone has speedy and equitable access to introduction of ring-fenced funding in excellent stroke services. Progress is uneven and many stroke Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland survivors are still not spending the majority of their stay in is vital to maintain momentum and hospital on a stroke unit ensure full implementation of stroke strategies. The amounts required are So there is still a long way to go. We must not be complacent tiny considered against overall and we all need to increase our efforts. Responsibility for budgets, and the fact that stroke is implementation lies with local health and social care bodies. the number one cause of long-term We want to see them all take up this challenge and deliver the severe disability. high quality services that stroke survivors and their carers need. We would like to see the guidelines in each country on Awareness We believe that 6 the management of stroke and TIAs fully implemented. national and local FAST advertising The Stroke Association’s call to action campaigns should be used in all four countries of the UK, building on the This manifesto sets out our ambitions for stroke care. We campaigns that have already been believe that over the next five years we can and should aim to: developed by the Department of • reduce the incidence of stroke Health in England and that are being proposed in Scotland7 and Northern • reduce stroke mortality rates, and Ireland. Continued funding is needed • reduce the levels of impairment and disability caused by in order to maintain awareness of stroke to that of the best in Europe. stroke symptoms. These awareness raising campaigns should also We have identified some of the key services within the care signpost people who require more pathway where we would like to see significant improvements, information and support to but there are three key issues that will need to be addressed The Stroke Association and other if these improvements are to become a reality. sources of support. Research Funding for stroke research lags dangerously behind that for cancer and heart disease. The Stroke Association is committed to increasing its funding for research over We have started to see real the next five years. We call on government and other funding bodies improvements in stroke care in many to similarly increase the amount of places but we now need to see those funding available for stroke research with a particular focus on increasing policy commitments translated into stroke research capacity across the action in every part of the UK so that full care pathway. We would like to see everyone has speedy and equitable a continued commitment to and expansion of funding for the UK access to excellent stroke services. Stroke Research Network.8 5 2010 Stroke prevention 2015 Stroke is the number The Stroke Association’s call to action one cause of long-term Raising awareness severe disability and Much more needs to be done to raise public and professional the third biggest killer awareness of risk factors for stroke and effective primary in the UK, but it is prevention measures at individual, family, community and societal levels.11 preventable. Health promotion measures Greater attention must be given More effective government funded public health measures are to prevention. required to significantly reduce people’s exposure to risk factors for stroke.12 Stroke should be included more • We could prevent 40 per cent prominently in existing government public health and health of strokes by controlling high promotion policy and activity.13 14 15 blood pressure across the UK.9 Stroke prevention services • We could reduce strokes by a quarter if everyone ate at least Community based stroke prevention services should be five pieces of fruit and developed in partnerships between the voluntary sector the vegetables every day.10 NHS and local authorities – an example being the Stroke Prevention Service provided by The Stroke Association.16 • Up to 15,000 strokes might be prevented every year if we Implementation of guidelines diagnosed and treated TIA and We need to see rapid progress in the implementation of the atrial fibrillation quickly.