Breaking Barriers: Achieving Equity in Acute Stroke Care

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide but there are significant differences in access to acute stroke care between geographical regions. Indeed, inequalities in acute stroke care continue to exist within the UK. Reperfusion therapies including mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are now the established standard of care for acute ischaemic stroke. However, availability of these therapies remains variable across the UK, with patients in rural areas potentially facing a poorer outcome. Reasons for this include delayed ambulance response times for both primary transfer to an acute stroke centre (ASC) and secondary transfers to comprehensive stroke centres (CSCs), MT only being available in CSCs and consequently neurointerventionists are disproportionately concentrated in the London/South of England, where a greater number of these centres are located. Furthermore, there has been a lack of investment in stroke care outside of comprehensive stroke centres, with imaging facilities in ASCs often suboptimal, and variability in consultant stroke physician staffing/presence, delaying decision making. The neurointerventionist workforce is undergoing a rapid expansion, however, further investment is required to ensure equity of access to acute stroke care across the UK and across the world.

Keywords: health inequalities; ischaemic stroke; thrombectomy.