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The response from the College was disappointing but not unexpected.
There is the opportunity today for the evidence behind the RCP stroke
audit group's claims about effects and thrombolysis percentages to be
discussed and debated as Professor Tony Rudd is speaking at the
Evidence2010 BMA House conference in a session titled "Change Management:
The experience from stroke." [1]
The session comes with the detail "After the session the participants
will be able to identify the key drivers that can be used to effect
service change both at the local level and regionally and nationally." Do
these drivers include not questionng the evidence, not challenging figures
that are clearly wrong, and making statements to the public and media that
are then not defended, explained or clarified?
There is no doubt that hyperacute and acute stroke services have been
transformed in London in recent years. When Professor Rudd was speaking at
a conference earlier in the year he said "Reports from the new stroke
units are showing three times more patients are being given clot-busting
drugs than in the same period last year rising from 174 in 2009 to 587 in
the same months this year."[2] A threefold rise in the past year, not a
fivefold rise. With around a 7.2 million population in London, and a
2/1000 or so incidence for stroke, the percentage treated in one year for
a capital with great acute services will fall well short of the RCP's 15%
mark.
In the meantime, stroke rehabilitation service developments in London
in 2010/11 - that could benefit far more than just 587 - are being left
to individual PCTs to develop.[3]
Perhaps the message from the conference should be forget evidence
driving efficient commissioning or decison-making in health - it is the
politics that drives the agenda!
Evidence2010 - Transforming Healthcare - BMJ conference 1&2 Nov
The response from the College was disappointing but not unexpected.
There is the opportunity today for the evidence behind the RCP stroke
audit group's claims about effects and thrombolysis percentages to be
discussed and debated as Professor Tony Rudd is speaking at the
Evidence2010 BMA House conference in a session titled "Change Management:
The experience from stroke." [1]
The session comes with the detail "After the session the participants
will be able to identify the key drivers that can be used to effect
service change both at the local level and regionally and nationally." Do
these drivers include not questionng the evidence, not challenging figures
that are clearly wrong, and making statements to the public and media that
are then not defended, explained or clarified?
There is no doubt that hyperacute and acute stroke services have been
transformed in London in recent years. When Professor Rudd was speaking at
a conference earlier in the year he said "Reports from the new stroke
units are showing three times more patients are being given clot-busting
drugs than in the same period last year rising from 174 in 2009 to 587 in
the same months this year."[2] A threefold rise in the past year, not a
fivefold rise. With around a 7.2 million population in London, and a
2/1000 or so incidence for stroke, the percentage treated in one year for
a capital with great acute services will fall well short of the RCP's 15%
mark.
In the meantime, stroke rehabilitation service developments in London
in 2010/11 - that could benefit far more than just 587 - are being left
to individual PCTs to develop.[3]
Perhaps the message from the conference should be forget evidence
driving efficient commissioning or decison-making in health - it is the
politics that drives the agenda!
[1] Evidence2010. Transforming Healthcare.
www.evidence2010.com/programme/transforming-healthcare-stream (accessed 31
October 2010)
[2] Specialist stroke centres save lives across capital.
www.london.nhs.uk/new-and-health-issues/press-releases/2010-press-
releases/Specialist-stroke-centres-save-lives-across-capital (accessed 31
October 1010)
[3] Healthcare for London. Stroke rehabilitation guide: supporting
London Commissioners to commission quality services in 2010/11.
www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk/assets/stroke/HealthcareforLondon_Stroke-
rehabilitation-guide.pdf (accessed 31 Oct 2010)
Competing interests: No competing interests