Building on a track record of stroke excellence at Northampton General Hospital

Members of the stroke team celebrate a B-rating in the national audit programme

Stroke services in Northamptonshire are among the best in the country, according to a new report.

The findings of a specialised national scoring system rated Northampton General Hospital in the second-highest category for the care of stroke patients from the initial admission to hospital through to the six-month follow-up appointment.  

The report – known as the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme – shows improvement across all areas of stroke care leading to an overall B rating for the hospital, the second-highest rating possible.

Dr Lyndsey Brawn, divisional director and consultant stroke physician, said: “Stroke is one of the top three killers in the UK and a major cause of disability. 

“We know that expert stroke care in the first few hours can significantly reduce long term disability and improve the prospects for recovery. 

“Behind these statistics is a team of medical, nursing, therapy, radiology and administrative staff providing round-the-clock specialist stroke care.”

The hospital – which is the stroke centre for the whole county treating patients from Northampton and Kettering catchment areas - was measured on a number of areas in stroke care including how quickly lifesaving treatment was delivered as well as aftercare services such as speech and language therapy.

SSNAP is the national stroke register which collects information about the stroke pathway from all hospitals treating stroke patients in England and Wales. Results are updated every three months and can be found on the Royal College of Physicians website.