Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, Annual Report 2020/21
The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), which assesses the care provided for patients during and after they receive inpatient care following a stroke, has published its eighth annual report. Based on data from April 2020 to March 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic), the report aims to identify which aspects of stroke care need to be improved and how these beneficial changes can enhance outcomes for patients and families during this challenging period.
Overall, the report found that, even during the COVID-19 pandemic year, many teams were still able to improve the quality of care through the implementation of evidence-based interventions. However, it also states there is an ongoing need to ensure that such improvements are sustained over the longer term, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. Key findings include:
- There was reduction of crude in-hospital mortality rate from 13.6% (2018-19) to 13.4% (2019-20) to 13.2% (2020-21)
- 91% of patients received stroke specialist nursing assessment in less than 24 hours after admission
- 75% of applicable patients received swallow screening in less than four hours after admission, and
- 58% of patients were assessed by a stroke specialist within 14 hours after admission.
The report concludes that measuring the impact of stroke over the longer term is vital to identify which interventions are the most effective. It goes on to state that, while six month assessments have been maintained during the pandemic with a large-scale switch towards telephone assessments, further work is still needed to ensure that all eligible patients receive a full assessment..
Read the full report: You can read the report by clicking on the link below.
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