Stroke services in Surrey to come under watchdog's microscope
6:00am Saturday 6th October 2012 in News By Laura Proto
A health watchdog is looking into issues surrounding stroke services in Surrey, due to concerns victims were not receiving the best services and support to fully recover.
Over the next few months, staff and volunteers of the Surrey Local Involvement Network (Link) will be looking into what the problems are.
They will visit rehabilitation units in community hospitals to investigate standards of care, talk to patients, carers and those who have recovered from a stroke to find out their experiences of services.
The Surrey Link will then produce a report that will give useful recommendations to the people who plan and run local services.
Jane Shipp, development officer for the Surrey Link, said: “People in Surrey who have had a stroke and their carers have told us that their experience of care is confusing and uncoordinated.
“We want to get a better understanding of the issues so we can make evidence-based recommendations to the organisations that plan and run local health and social care services.”
The findings will be shared with the Surrey County Council health scrutiny committee to show how Healthwatch Surrey will provide evidence of local people’s experiences and give feedback to the people who plan and run services, to help make improvements for the future.
Formed in 2008 to involve communities in, and enable them to influence, health and social care services, the Surrey Link will be evolving into Healthwatch Surrey from April 1, 2013, as a result of the Health and Social Care Bill.
