COMMUNITY Stroke Service (CSS) has just had the results back from a county-wide questionnaire, completed by all patients who were seen on one or more occasion.

The survey showed that 93 per cent of Worcestershire patients and their families were “very satisfied” with the advice and support provided by the team.

The results come off the back of the recent report from the Stroke Association, which highlighted the need for more emotional support for people who had a stroke after leaving hospital.

The Community Stroke Service was set up in May 2008 with the aim to provide patients being discharged from hospital support, advice and relevant treatment when recovering from a stroke, as well helping to cope with emotional difficulties.

As a specialist stroke service, we are very aware of the prevalence of anxiety and depression post-stroke.This is regularly monitored and reviewed using both standardised assessments, observation of the patient and discussions with the patient and family.

Following discharge from the service, which is usually at about six weeks, patients are invited to a clinic review at three, six and 12 months post-stroke. This appointment routinely includes a review of the patient’s mood, their perception of their recovery and the impact their stroke is still having on the quality of their life and that of their families.

However, even with such positive results, the team said they still have room to improve and plan to develop the service.

The recent results show we’re doing a good job but we can still make the service better.

We’re implementing an outcome measure which specifically looks at the well-being and distress of the patient and the carer, as well as looking at specific impairments and their impact on daily life.

The survey also gives the opportunity for patients and their families to give general feedback about the service.

Many of the comments received praised the team’s professional manner, how easy it is to access and how helpful and informative the staff are. For details about the Community Stroke Service visit hacw.nhs.uk/servicedirectory/communitycare/community-stroke-service.