UK worst for stroke victims in western Europe-report

LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) Britain has the worst outcome for stroke victims in western Europe according to recent studies and needs to take urgent action to address the situation, a senior British doctor said today.

Professor Hugh Markus, from St George's University of London, said although Britain spent as much or more than other European countries, three comparative studies had shown stroke victims in Britain fared the worst.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Markus argued that Britain urgently needed to reorganise its stroke services, particularly the emphasis on acute care.

As an example, he cited how providing one anti-clotting drug, thrombolysis with alteplase, to victims within three hours of a stroke greatly improved their outcome.

While 20-30 per cent of eligible patients in many countries in Europe, North America and Australia received the treatment, less than 1 per cent of those in Britain got the therapy.

''In many European countries stroke care is an integral part of neurology,'' Markus wrote.

''In contrast, in the UK it has, until recently, been a 'Cinderella' subject, often falling between neurology and general and geriatric medicine.'' Markus said an audit had found that only 62 per cent of people admitted to hospital for strokes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were treated in a specialist stroke unit during their stay.

Meanwhile only 54 per cent spent more than half their time in hospital in a specialised unit.

Strokes are the third most common cause of death in England and Wales, according to figures from the Stroke Association.

About 150,000 people have a stroke every year in Britain, leading to more than 67,000 deaths, and costing the publicly-funded National Health Service 2.8 billion pounds.

In 2005 Britain's spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, said if care was better organised the government could save 20 million pounds a year, 550 deaths could be avoided and 1,700 patients would fully recover who otherwise would not.

REUTERS SKB PM0850