RAPID blood clot treatments and early discharge services are improving care for more than 600 stroke patients each year at Warrington Hospital.

This was the verdict after the National Audit Office (NAO) released a report on the progress in improving stroke care after the Department of Health implemented a National Stroke Strategy in December 2007.

The report highlighted the progress that hospitals have made under the strategy, which was developed in response to a 2005 audit and defines the markers for stroke care over a 10-year period.

The report called for more improvements to be made to ensure patients are treated within four hours of arriving at hospital, such as carrying out brain imaging (CT) scans.

Dr Ola Otaiku, stroke lead at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Since I joined the trust in July 2008 we have had some major improvements, though still lot of challenges before we can describe our service as beacon of excellence.

“We have made significant improvements on rapid assessment of stroke patient directly from A&E.

“A lot of work still needs to be done to ensure we can meet the standard of direct admission within four hours and hopefully this target should be met by 2010.

“Patients are met from the ambulance by a stroke nurse and a CT scan is ordered before transferring the patient to the ward. Treatment must be started within three hours of onset of the stroke.”