Declining standards of care for stroke patients must be reversed, says charity

Stroke cases are on the rise, particularly among people in their 50s, separate NHS England analysis shows, with the increase blamed on obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

Ministers are being urged to improve declining care for stroke patients to lower the risk of death and disability as new figures show rising cases, especially among people in their 50s.

Thousands of stroke patients are missing out on appropriate treatment and rehabilitation, the standards of which have worsened over the past decade, the Stroke Association has said as it publishes the latest figures from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), the nation’s biggest stroke data audit covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland.