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Strokes: Health Services

Volume 490: debated on Monday 23 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps have been taken under the National Stroke Strategy to reduce vascular risk in stroke or trans ischaemic attack patients. (263462)

Under the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) primary care receives points for having a register of patients who have had a stroke or a trans ischaemic attack (TIA). The QOF also covers a number of indicators which relate to good clinical management of stroke patients, covering referral for further investigation, blood pressure and cholesterol management and the prescribing of anti-platelet or anti-coagulant medicine and flu vaccination. These measures assist primary care practitioners to reduce the risk of patients having a recurrent stroke or TIA.

The stroke strategy outlines the need to ensure systems are in place locally for key prevention measures e.g. management of hypertension and smoking cessation to those who have had a stroke or TIA.