Stroke awareness survey

A stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK and also the leading cause of severe disability. What level of care can stroke patients in East Sussex expect? And, could it be better?

These are questions which East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) is going to examine as part of its investigation into local NHS stroke care services.

HOSC is a group of local councillors charged with monitoring local health services on behalf of East Sussex residents and for making recommendations to the local NHS on how things could be improved.

Who can take part

The newly refreshed East Sussex residents’ panel will be completing a survey which will tell HOSC how much they know about strokes. This survey will help HOSC understand how much people know about the symptoms of stroke, what action to take and the measures people can take which may reduce their risk of having a stroke. It will also help find out whether more needs to be done to raise awareness, and if so, how best to communicate the information.

We would also like to hear the views of local people, especially anyone with first-hand experience of stroke care services in East Sussex, as these are important to HOSC’s investigations. If you aren’t a member of the residents’ panel and would like to tell us about your experience, please contact Sam White, Scrutiny Support Officer, at County Hall, Lewes – tel: 01273 481581 or email: healthscrutiny@eastsussex.gov.uk – by the end of November.

A summary of the results will be available here in March 2009.