THE Stroke Association has described figures revealing 50 per cent of stroke survivors in the South East feel abandoned when they leave hospital as “deeply concerning”.

More than a third of stroke survivors in the South East reported they left hospital without a care plan, and returned home without appropriate support in place for their recovery.

And almost half said they were not contacted by a healthcare professional when they returned home from hospital while two-fifths stated they did not receive a vital six-month assessment of their health and social care needs.

These assessments monitor how well stroke survivors are recovering and identify additional, tailored support that may be needed to prevent unnecessary readmissions to hospital and care homes.

Stroke Association chief executive Jon Barrick said: “These findings are deeply concerning. Currently, too many stroke survivors feel abandoned when they return home as they are not given the right support to begin their rehabilitation.

“Major strides have been made in the way stroke is treated in hospital; however the same is not true when stroke survivors return home. No one plans for a stroke, but the Government can, and should, ensure the right care and support is there when people need it most.”

The survey also found a third of stroke survivors in the region did not have access to the therapy and support they needed to cope with the physical, mental and emotional impact of stroke, or rated it as “poor”.

The charity is launching a major new campaign, A New Era for Stroke, which calls on the Government to commit to a new stroke strategy. The current 10-year National Stroke Strategy for England ends in 2017, and the charity is warning stroke survivors’ recovery will continue to be put at serious risk unless the Government commits to a new strategy.

The national strategy was introduced to improve standards in treatment and support for people affected by a stroke. As part of its campaign, the association is launching a public petition, calling on the Government to commit to a new strategy.

Professor Helen Rodgers, president of the British Association of Stroke Physicians, said: “There have been major improvements in the care provided by specialist in-patient stroke services to patients with acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack, or mini-stroke, since the introduction of the National Stroke Strategy for England in 2007.

“Unfortunately, there has been little progress to meet the on-going needs of stroke patients and their families following discharge from hospital. The British Association of Stroke Physicians strongly supports the Stroke Association’s call for a new comprehensive national stroke programme to develop specialist stroke services across the whole care pathway to improve life after stroke.”

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy chief executive Professor Karen Middleton said: “The survey paints a worrying picture of inadequate care planning and services for stroke survivors.

“It is neither cost effective nor clinically effective to provide life-saving treatment but not life-enhancing rehabilitation afterwards.

“Ensuring stroke survivors have speedy and sufficient access to physio- therapy is an essential part of their recovery: enabling people to regain independence and take an active role in their community, family and workplace.

“We are very pleased to back the Stroke Association’s call for a new stroke strategy so survivors receive the best possible support from hospital to home.”

• To sign the petition go to www.stroke.org.uk/new era