YORK Hospital has defended its stroke patient care after coming bottom in an audit of hospitals in our region by the Royal College of Physicians.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust fared worst of the 16 trusts in Yorkshire and the Humber on a range of stroke care indicators.

The report, out today, found York below the national average in a number of areas.

Only 58 per cent of patients received a brain scan within 24 hours of arriving against a national average of 70 per cent, while 83 per cent of patients were assessed by a physiotherapist within three days against the national average of 91 per cent. Only 16 per cent of patients were reported to have their rehabilitation goals set within five days; the national average is 78 per cent.

A spokesperson for York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are disappointed with the outcome of this audit, however, these figures relate to patients that were treated by us last year, and our latest figures show that we have since made improvements across these indicators. Our services are moving in the right direction and we have plans in place to continue to make improvements to stroke services for the benefit of patients in York and the surrounding area.”

Julia MacLeod, The Stroke Association’s head of operations in our region, said while some hospitals had made tremendous improvements, there was still room for more.

She said: “We believe all patients should have a brain scan within 24 hours, to determine the type of stroke and whether they are eligible for clot-busting treatment.

“However, only 66 per cent of patients in Yorkshire and Humber received a brain scan within 24 hours.

“We would also like to see that stroke survivors are given long-term support, which can be provided by our Life After Stroke services. This requires strategic local planning, so there are concerns surrounding the proposed NHS reforms and how they may impact regionally.”