Reorganisation ‘saved many lives’

Ireland's stroke care has greatly improved, in terms of how patients are admitted and managed in the first few hours, Gary Culliton reports in his latest Clinical Update. After this, performance is beginning to fall down. There are up to 8,000 strokes per year in Ireland and a further 2,000 transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs). Unavoidably, this toll will increase. Ireland has “held back the tide” in terms of stroke care but the number of strokes is inevitably going to increase in coming years. The stroke clinical programme has shown that with appropriate guidance, a small amount of investment and sustained…