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| Stroke services are 'UK's worst' | Stroke services are 'UK's worst' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Services for stroke victims in Wales are the worst in the UK, a leading stroke expert has claimed. | Services for stroke victims in Wales are the worst in the UK, a leading stroke expert has claimed. |
| Dr Tony Rudd, who assessed services in Wales, England and Northern Ireland two years ago, said services in Wales were "scandalously bad". | Dr Tony Rudd, who assessed services in Wales, England and Northern Ireland two years ago, said services in Wales were "scandalously bad". |
| He makes the claim in BBC Wales' Week In Week Out, which investigated the issues with stroke treatment provision. | |
| However, the Wales Stroke Alliance, set up by the assembly government, said improvements had been made to services. | |
| Dr Rudd has kept tabs on any improvements to the stroke services in Wales since his assessment in 2007 | Dr Rudd has kept tabs on any improvements to the stroke services in Wales since his assessment in 2007 |
| He said they had "remained virtually stationary" in Wales over the 10 years he had been assessing them. | He said they had "remained virtually stationary" in Wales over the 10 years he had been assessing them. |
| Welsh politicians should be ashamed of themselves for letting the situation drift, he said. | Welsh politicians should be ashamed of themselves for letting the situation drift, he said. |
| Brain scan | Brain scan |
| The Week In Week Out investigation of stroke treatment provision in Wales found that specialist services in Powys were particularly scarce. | The Week In Week Out investigation of stroke treatment provision in Wales found that specialist services in Powys were particularly scarce. |
| The programme also found there are too few hospital staff available in Wales to scan or assess stroke victims at weekends. | The programme also found there are too few hospital staff available in Wales to scan or assess stroke victims at weekends. |
| Many hospitals do not meet the best practice guidelines of administering a brain scan within 24 hours and administering physiotherapy within 72 hours, Week In Week Out discovered. | Many hospitals do not meet the best practice guidelines of administering a brain scan within 24 hours and administering physiotherapy within 72 hours, Week In Week Out discovered. |
| However, Dr Ann Freeman, chair of the Wales Stroke Alliance, said improvements had been made over the last year. | However, Dr Ann Freeman, chair of the Wales Stroke Alliance, said improvements had been made over the last year. |
| She said there were now three hospitals offering special clot-busting drugs for stroke victims compared with none two years ago. | She said there were now three hospitals offering special clot-busting drugs for stroke victims compared with none two years ago. |
| The Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant near Cardiff has also developed a service with 24/7 scanning for stroke victims. | The Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant near Cardiff has also developed a service with 24/7 scanning for stroke victims. |
| Dr Freeman said she hoped that by 2010, stroke patients in Wales would get a service as good as that found in England. | Dr Freeman said she hoped that by 2010, stroke patients in Wales would get a service as good as that found in England. |
| The alliance was established by the Welsh Assembly Government to support a partnership, which advised on improving care. | |
| Leadership | Leadership |
| In 2007, the Welsh Assembly Government committed £7.5m over a period of three years to improving stroke care. | In 2007, the Welsh Assembly Government committed £7.5m over a period of three years to improving stroke care. |
| But this is around half that pledged by Northern Ireland, which has a smaller population. | But this is around half that pledged by Northern Ireland, which has a smaller population. |
| The commitment is that by March this year, all stroke patients in Wales will be admitted to dedicated beds staffed by a specialist team. | |
| Dr Richard Dewar, who runs the stroke service at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital said Wales was lacking the leadership required to get a long term stroke strategy in place. | Dr Richard Dewar, who runs the stroke service at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital said Wales was lacking the leadership required to get a long term stroke strategy in place. |
| Health Minister Edwina Hart did not want to contribute to the programme. | Health Minister Edwina Hart did not want to contribute to the programme. |
| Week In Week Out: How Not To Have A Stroke in Wales screens at 2235 GMT on Tuesday, 17 February, on BBC One Wales. | Week In Week Out: How Not To Have A Stroke in Wales screens at 2235 GMT on Tuesday, 17 February, on BBC One Wales. |