The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has given stroke survivors in rural areas the opportunity to comment on their individual experiences regarding care and services.

In the UK, around 110,000 people suffer from a stroke every year and it is the single biggest cause of disability in the UK – and the country’s third biggest killer.

The CRC’s research has found that new ways of working are needed to improve health outcomes for stroke survivors in rural areas, as well as access to services.

On Wednesday (24/03/10), the CRC, the Stroke Association and the NHS Stroke Improvement Programme met with others to help develop solutions to the problems facing rural stroke patients.

Insights from patients, their families and carers – and from service providers – suggest that living in the countryside can affect the quality of stroke care.

The provision of care for discharged stroke survivors remote from health services and with poor access to public transport is a further concern – there are particular challenges associated with providing local support in rural areas, including difficult or costly journeys to specialist centres that place extra strain on stroke survivors, said the CRC.

Chief executive of the CRC, Sarah McAdam, said:

‘Rural stroke survivors have told us how traumatic the return home from hospital can be made worse by remoteness from centralised services and a lack of follow-up care.

‘By bringing together individuals from different specialisms, we hope to break down barriers to improving the quality of care for stroke survivors in rural England.’

Chief executive of The Stroke Association, Jon Barrick, said that one-third of those who suffered a stroke would be left with a long term, severe disability.

‘A significant number of stroke survivors and their families live in rural England, many of whom can feel isolated and don’t have the necessary access to the stroke services that they require,’ Mr Barrick added.

‘The Stroke Association provides services to combat this feeling of isolation and offers support. This conference, we hope, will be a fundamental step in planning how we can better implement services and meet the wishes of stroke survivors in rural areas to ensure that they receive the quality care and assistance they need.’

Director of the NHS Stroke Improvement Programme, Ian Golton, said:

‘The Stroke Improvement Programme works with Stroke Care Networks and services to improve the care for those experiencing this potentially devastation condition.

‘We’ve learned that the most effective way to improve services is for them to work together, and to fully understand the needs of those for whom they care.

‘Working with rural communities presents a particular challenge to adapt the services to provide the same high-quality care and support as you would receive if you lived next door to a hospital,’ Mr Golton added.

‘We’ve seen that, by harnessing the imagination, commitment and professionalism of health and social care staff, services can work with stroke survivors to ensure everyone gets the help they need.’

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