NHS continues to miss stroke admittance target

NHS Scotland has missed its target to admit patients to a specialist stroke unit within 24 hours, its annual review has found.

Only seven of the 29 hospitals met the stroke unit standard of 90%.

The average percentage of patients admitted to a stroke unit within one day of hospital admission fell from 80% in 2015 to 78%.

A range of targets were missed but the annual report said stroke care in Scotland had improved.

The majority of stroke patients had a brain scan on time, with 91% being scanned within 24 hours.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: "We are committed to ensuring that people who have had a stroke have access to the best possible care as quickly as possible."

Hospital variation

Charities have welcomed the improvements but say there is still too much variation in standards between hospitals.

The Stroke Association said it was concerned by the disparity in hospital care across the country.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole Hamilton also called for a more level playing field.

"Today's report shows that some stroke patients are missing out on receiving care that meets the agreed standard," he said.

"With only seven of the 29 hospitals meeting the stroke unit standard of 90%, improvements clearly still need to be made.

Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: "The SNP made a series of big promises on our NHS, but all we have seen is increasing pressure on staff, missed targets for patients and a sense of crisis management rather than a plan for the long term."

More than 9,000 people had a stroke last year making it the biggest cause of disability in Scotland and the third biggest killer.