While Irish stroke services compare well internationally, the need for action to develop rehabilitation services is particularly critical. More people than ever before are living with the effects of stroke.
The Stroke Manifesto 2017 urges Government to implement set measures that will stop avoidable death and disability from stroke. The Manifesto sets out a rationale for upfront investment in acute, rehabilitation and community services that have been proven to reduce death and disability rates among stroke patients, as well as cutting service costs. For example, whilst stroke units are twice as effective as coronary care units in reducing death and severe disability, no hospital in Ireland has a unit that’s resourced to minimum international standards.
In 2016 a national audit of stroke services revealed that the death rate from stroke in Ireland has been cut by more than a quarter and the rate of direct discharge to nursing homes has almost halved in the last seven years. However, despite the Stroke Programme’s success in developing services, a high proportion of stroke survivors continue to suffer undue disability in terms of both severity and length of time due to inadequate rehabilitation services.
Early Supported Discharge services speed up discharge from hospital by providing rehabilitation while the patient lives at home. This can have a life-changing impact on many stroke survivors, providing therapy in patients’ own homes rather than in hospital resulting in better outcomes at less cost.
Whilst Early Supported Discharge programmes are still only being provided by a handful of Irish hospitals up to 44% of stroke patients could benefit from Early Supported Discharge, yielding net savings estimated at €2million to €7million
