SWAH Stroke Unit ranked highest in Northern Ireland

by Gráinne Connolly

The latest SSNAP (Sentinal Stroke National Audit Programme) Report has been released and it has awarded South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) with the highest grade for its Stroke Services and Care. 

SSNAP measures stroke care by collecting information from hospitals about the care provided to patients from the time they arrive at the hospital up until 6 months after their stroke. 

This means that SSNAP can report on both the early stages of stroke care in hospital and later stages of care in the community. 

The aim is that the information and results from the audit are used to improve care for stroke patients. 

This report shows how well hospitals treated their stroke patients and have focused on the care given between April-July 2017. 

According to their report, South West Acute Hospital was the only hospital in Northern Ireland to receive an A grade for how well they treat their stroke patients, as well as for supplying Clot Busting Treatment (Thrombolysis). 

Between 15-20% of patients should receive a clot-busting drug.

Patients who have a stroke caused by a clot and who get to hospital quickly can be given this drug, and must receive it at the earliest time possible after arriving.

(SSNAP overall level on how good hospitals are treating stroke patients)

(How well hospitals performed in supplying Clot Busting Treatment -Thrombolysis)
 

Both SWAH and South Tyrone and Lurgan Hospitals received the top grade for their Stroke Unit. 

According to the report, in the event of a stroke patients should get to a stroke unit as quickly as possible and should spend at least 90% of their time in hospital there. 

Within 4 hours of arriving at the hospitals, someone suffering with a stroke should be taken to the unit to get the best care needed and ultimately result in saving their lives and reducing disability. 

Enniskillen's hospital also received the top grade that can be awarded for providing patients with a brain scan as quickly as possible, as patients who are very sick should have one within 1 hour or all patients should have a brain scan within 12 hours. 

Alongside Enniskillen, The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast also received the highest grade in this category. 

The SSNAP report also provides information on other categories regarding Stroke patients and their care, including Special Assessments, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, discharge process and more. 

These are all included with maps in the pdf below: 

SSNAP report - stroke care

Local Councillor in Enniskillen, Debbie Coyle congratulated SWAH's Stroke Unit on the achievement: 

“I am delighted that that the most recent SSNAP Audit has given our Stroke Unit a Grade A.

“This recognises the first class acute stroke services that Dr Kelly and his committed team have achieved. This is all the more remarkable given the immense pressure that is being put on our healthcare services by continued Tory austerity agenda.
 
“I and others attended a meeting last night with the Fermanagh Stroke Support Core Group and their guests from the HSCB. I asked them, in light of the recent SNAPP Audit, how they will consider this rating when bringing forward plans for the future of our Stroke Unit.
 
“The Board representatives said that they would take the findings of the audit on board. They were very impressed with the response from Fermanagh with regard to the consultation.
 
“Credit should be given to the Fermanagh Stroke Support Group who brought so many of us elected reps, Unison and other trade unions, and groups together to oppose the closure of our Stroke Unit together. This group handed in over 3000 responses to the recent pre-consultation."