Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether the stroke units in the NHS in Gloucestershire are large enough to accommodate all stroke victims in Gloucestershire needing hospitalization; and if he will make a statement. [149466]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonI have made no assessment because in line with our Shifting the Balance of power policy it is now for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernizing services, based on the specialized knowledge they have of the local community.
824WI am assured by Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA that the national health service in Gloucestershire has developed the two specialist stroke units in line with national service framework guidance.
The stroke service links with other services to enable appropriate lengths of stay within the unit to be supported. Patients have access to other support services including intermediate care to enable rehabilitation of people in their own homes or in community hospitals. As a result of service reconfiguration, the numbers of people accessing specialist stroke services have increased in the last year.