§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions his Department intends to take in order to assist people suffering from the after effects of strokes. [85512]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Service Framework for Older People was launched in November 1998, and will focus on those parts of the National Health Service that are particularly important to older people. Stroke care is one of the key issues it will consider. This work will set national standards and define service models, put in place282W strategies to support implementation, and establish performance measures against which progress within an agreed time scale can be measured.
In addition, the Department is funding other initiatives on stroke, including a sentinel audit of stroke services, the development of Clinical Guidelines on stroke rehabilitation and the revision of the Effective Health Care Bulletin on stroke rehabilitation.