MEETING the highest standards in stroke treatment and care, the stroke unit at Coffs Harbour Health Campus (CHHC) has been recognised with the prestigious World Stroke Organization Angels Gold Status Award.

With an ageing population, it is reassuring to Coffs Coast residents that the local hospital has a specialised stroke service.

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CHHC Stroke Unit Clinical Nurse Consultant Amanda Buzio said achieving WSO Gold Status was a great honour and testament to a team effort to enhance local stroke care.

“Stroke is a time-critical medical emergency where blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced,” Ms Buzio said.

“Acting swiftly on the signs of stroke and implementing best practice care requires coordination between ambulance, emergency department, radiology and stroke unit staff.

“This Award is a welcome acknowledgment of the efforts and commitment of our staff, demonstrating that the care we provide is in line with recommended practice and of an international standard, giving our stroke patients the best chance of a good recovery.”

The aim of the Angels initiative is to optimise the standard of treatment in stroke centres worldwide and improve patient outcomes by setting global benchmarks for best practice stroke care.

It is a partnership between the World Stroke Organization, European Stroke Organisation and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Training, protocols and the performance of the hospital’s stroke unit were assessed as part of the Angels initiative, which includes a target of restoring blood-flow to the brain to more than half of eligible patients within 60 minutes of their hospital arrival.

“Ensuring appropriate patients receive clot busting therapy within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital door is the gold standard and means that more people will survive and live well after stroke,” Ms Buzio said.

To achieve WSO Gold status a hospital must demonstrate a range of outcomes, including optimum time to treatment, coordinated care, appropriate scans and screening, and ensuring patients are discharged from hospital on medications to minimise the risk of further stroke.

The Angels initiative Medical Project Manager in Australia, Kim Malkin, said every step toward improving care and outcomes for stroke patients was worth celebrating, as there were approximately 38,000 stroke events across Australia each year – around 100 every day.

“Every hospital that achieves WSO Angels Gold status should be justifiably proud, as should the communities they serve,” she said.

By Andrea FERRARI