Charity expresses concern over decline in stroke after-care [Video]

Thousands of stroke survivors are missing out on timely vital speech assessments in the aftermath of their stroke, a charity has said.

A new snapshot poll of stroke care found that just under a quarter (24.8%) of stroke patients received a speech and language therapy (SLT) assessment within 24 hours of arrival at hospital, and less than half get this check within 72 hours.

The Stroke Association said that around a third of stroke survivors will suffer aphasia – a language and communication disability, which leaves people struggling to speak, read, write or understand language.

And speech and language therapy is most effective the sooner it is delivered after a stroke, it said.

But according to its easement of the latest data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), the amount of time spent delivering speech and language therapy in hospital has declined by 10% in the last five …