STEPPING Hill Hospital’s stroke centre in Stockport has been rated the best in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the third time in the last five years.
In the latest report from the independent quarterly report from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), Stepping Hill came top in England, Wales and Northern Ireland out of a total of 224 routinely admitting acute stroke teams.
Strokes are the fourth biggest killer in the UK, and a leading cause of disability – but swift, specialist treatment can make a big difference in recovery.
People are most likely to have a stroke over the age of 55, but around a quarter of strokes happen in people of working age. There are around 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK.
One current patient on the unit is Ann Moss, 78, from Macclesfield. Ann had a stroke at home in November last year and was taken by ambulance to receive emergency stroke care.
She has since been recovering on the unit. She said: “I’ve received marvellous care here at Stepping Hill. It’s a very friendly and light-hearted atmosphere here on the ward, which really helps.
“I used to do Tai Chi exercise before my stroke and they’ve been helping me to do that again as part of my recovery. I’m very thankful to them all.”
Ann is recovering well and it is believed she will soon be ready for discharge to go home.
Dr Srinath Meadipudi, clinical director for stroke services at the hospital, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be recognised as top stroke unit from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme once more.
“This achievement is very much a team effort and everyone who works on the wards, including nursing, medical, therapists, domestic staff and many others all contribute towards providing the best possible care and experience for our stroke patients.
“I’d like to thank them all and I look forward to us continuing to provide top class care and treatment, giving our patients the best chance of recovery that we can.”