§ 8. Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire)What actions he proposes to take to reduce death and disability among those who do not have access to organised stroke care. [81815]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. John Hutton)The national service framework for older people was launched in November last year and will focus on those parts of the national health service that are particularly important to older people. The provision of effective stroke care is one of the key issues that it will consider. The national service framework will set national standards and define service models, put in place strategies to support implementation and establish performance measures against which progress—for example, in providing effective stroke care and agreeing time scales—can be measured.
§ Mr. BarnesHas the Minister seen the Stroke Association's report entitled "Stroke Care: A Matter of Chance", which shows that the provision of specialist stroke units varies considerably around the country? For example, 70 per cent. of stroke victims in Northern Ireland can be treated in that way, but only 37 per cent. in the south-west of England. There is no such unit in north Derbyshire, the area that I represent. I welcome the Minister's remarks about the national service framework for older people, and I know that the Stroke Association is working within that framework. Will my hon. Friend confirm that the next set of priorities and planning guidance to be formulated for the national health service will add to the existing provision? Some hon. Members know that other hon. Members are only a stroke behind them.
§ Mr. HuttonI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question, and I am aware of his situation. We welcome the Stroke Association's report, which showed that three quarters of consultants have access to an organised stroke service. Such access is increasing. We are very conscious of the need for consistency around the country. That is why we have organised the national service framework and tasked it with producing consistent national standards for the development of effective stroke care. The national priorities guidance already covers stroke care. We have set rigorous targets for trying to reduce morbidity from strokes by 2010.
§ Mr. Shaun Woodward (Witney)Given the Minister's obvious concern for patients who suffer from strokes, and his awareness of the role that day care centres attached to community hospitals can play, can he say whether the Department has decided to save the pioneering work of the Burford community hospital? Has not the time come to put its worried patients out of their misery by saying that the Government will save it?
§ Mr. HuttonI welcome the hon. Gentleman's interest in the matter. All I can say about the proposals for 693 Oxfordshire is that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is continuing to review the matter and has not come to a decision.
§ Dr. Vincent Cable (Twickenham)I welcome the Government's commitment to addressing the problem, but is the Minister aware that the deficiency of stroke care is so serious that, in many hospital trusts, stroke rehabilitation is being rationed on the basis of the age of patients? Will he try to ensure that that practice, which is wholly contrary to the spirit of the NHS, is stopped?
§ Mr. HuttonWe have repeatedly stressed that discrimination against older people in the NHS is fundamentally inconsistent with the service's basic ethos, and we will not tolerate it. I know that the hon. Gentleman has a particular interest in the matter. We are not complacent about the situation, which is why the national service framework is reviewing the provision of effective stroke care. We want those services to improve.