News and notices Pānui
Bay of Plenty stroke team recognised for outstanding patient care
16 December 2024
Our stroke team has been recognised for having the lowest seven-day mortality rates across the country at a recent National Stroke Network meeting.
“This means that across the motu if you have a stroke in Bay of Plenty, you are more likely to be alive, living at home and independent," says Dr Jane Molloy, Neurologist/stroke SMO.
“We know that it is our organised stroke unit care that saves lives from stroke. It is great to see the impact of this for our patients."
It has now been a year since the opening of Te Whare o Tāne-Te-Wananga Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) at Tauranga Hospital, which provides a specialised, multidisciplinary approach to treating stroke patients that has been shown to reduce the risk of death and disability. In Whakatāne, the general physicians look after their stroke survivors and use the Bay of Plenty stroke protocols.
Alex Herbert-Ward, Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialist, credits the specialised acute stroke team for the win.
“This recognition highlights the role of an organised inpatient stroke unit, which is underpinned by acute stroke care documentation to support better patient outcomes. Our stroke unit care is multidisciplinary, of which all disciplines are crucial to reducing stroke mortality," she says.
Coordinated inpatient stroke unit care involves comprehensive assessments of the stroke patient, early mobilisation and rehabilitation as well as secondary prevention strategies to help prevent complications. The team consists of nurses, doctors, therapists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists), social workers and pharmacists.
Looking ahead to 2025, the team will continue to strive for excellence in stroke care in alignment with the National Stroke Network Plan 2024-2029 vision: “All people living in Aotearoa at risk of stroke, and those that have suffered a stroke, will have access to an equitable, accessible, cohesive, and people-centred system that improves their health and wellbeing."