May is Stroke Awareness Month and we’re delighted to share that our Stroke team, which was highly commended for its turnaround from D to A rating in the 2020 HSJ Patient Safety Awards, has maintained the top-rating, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Devesh Sinha, one of our co-clinical leads for stroke (pictured above), said: “This is a significant achievement as only a handful of stroke units in the country managed to maintain this quality standard.

“I am so proud of the whole team who kept the highest possible level of care for our patients despite huge challenges. We faced ward moves, wards being converted to Covid wards and our own staff sickness depleting our team at a time when the demands on us were extreme. The resilience and patience everyone has shown during this time has been commendable.”

The rating comes from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), which looks at the quality of care received by stroke patients, as well as the structure of the service. This rating is from the audit period of September to December 2020.

Amanda Martin, co-clinical lead for stroke, added: “I am also very proud of all the staff who have worked so hard to maintain the quality of care that our patients receive, which this rating represents.

“It’s testament to the continued hard work of them all that we’ve ensured our service has continued at such a high level despite the pandemic.”

Find out more about Stroke Awareness Month.