Issue 8 FJanuary 2010 - kcl.ac.uk · 2017. 7. 29. · BOOK REVIEW Issue 8 - January 2010 3...
Transcript of Issue 8 FJanuary 2010 - kcl.ac.uk · 2017. 7. 29. · BOOK REVIEW Issue 8 - January 2010 3...
Welcome to the latest
issue of FORWARD, the
newsletter for people
who have had a stroke,
and their families.
In this issue we have a
new section which we
hope will become a
regular feature. In this
WELCOME TO FORWARD
ORWARDNews from the South London Stroke Register
Issue 8January 2010
FNHS Foundation Trust
National Stroke Audit:Easy Access Version of the Report
The Stroke Programme at
the Royal College of
Physicians (RCP) has
been collecting
information on stroke
services provided at
hospitals throughout the
country for over 10 years.
In 2008, the RCP carried
out an audit (review) of
224 hospitals to see
whether they were
following the National Continued on page 2
Guideline, which tells
hospitals how to organise
stroke services.
The RCP sent detailed
reports of the results to the
hospitals which took part,
and also had a public
report with national
statistics. However, it was
clear that the public report
was not suitable for many
feature one of our readers
will review a book written
by a stroke survivor about
their personal experience
of stroke. Marcela's review
of The Diary of a Stroke by
Martin Stephen is on page
3.
Please get in touch with
the Forward editorial team
if you have any
suggestions for articles or
would like to be involved
in writing and producing
Forward. Please contact
Chris McKevitt on 020
7848 6628 or email
We hope you enjoy this
issue and look forward to
hearing from you.
The Royal College of
Physicians, Regents Park
by James Campbell, Sentinel Stroke Project Coordinator
FORWARD - NEWS FROM THE SOUTH LONDON STROKE REGISTER
2
Continued from page 1
of the people who were
interested in knowing
about the findings of the
audit - it was too long and
too detailed. The RCP
therefore decided to
create an Easy Access
Version of this report, so
that it could be accessible
to more people, especially
those who have had a
stroke.
The Easy Access Version
tells you about most of the
points in the full report but
in less detail. The aim is
that it will help people who
have difficulty
concentrating, reading
small print or
understanding what they
read. This was done by
using fewer and shorter
words, larger print, more
spacing and pictures.
There are also graphs to
help explain what the
results mean.
A working group of
patients and carers helped
to make the Easy Access
Version as user-friendly as
possible.
To get your free copy of the
Easy Access Version of the
Stroke Audit Report,
please email
and state the number of
copies you would like,
along with your name and
address, or alternatively
please ask Chris McKevitt
(020 7848 6628) to order a
copy for you.
Researchers from theSouth London StrokeRegister have foundthat the risk of havinganother stroke remainshigh a number of yearsafter the first stroke.
This study usedinformation from 2874people from the SouthLondon Stroke Register
who had their first strokebetween 1995 and 2004.These people werefollowed up for up to 10years to see if they hadanother stroke during thistime.
The researchers looked atpeople who were still alivea year after their strokeand found that 7% of
these peoplehad gone on tohave a secondstroke. Fiveyears after thefirst stroke,16% had goneon to have asecond stroke.Of thosepeople stillalive after ten
RESEARCH UPDATEyears, one in four had hadanother stroke.
This study also found thatpeople who had had aheart attack or hadirregular heartbeat (atrialfibrillation) were at higherrisk of having anotherstroke in the following year.High blood pressure andirregular heartbeatincreased the risk ofhaving another stroke fiveyears after the first stroke.Older age, high bloodpressure, having had aheart attack and irregularheartbeat increased therisk of a second strokeafter ten years.
This study tells us that it isparticularly important forstroke survivors to havetheir blood pressureproperly controlled and tohave heart conditions suchas atrial fibrillation treated.
Highlights of research findings from the SouthLondon Stroke Register
BOOK REVIEW
Issue 8 - January 2010
3
gradually improves his handwriting. He
recites poetry and prose to regain his
speech and memory. Regular pacing back
and forth on the lawn or climbing up and
down the stairs help flex his weak limbs.
When restored to full health through sheer
will of mind much earlier than expected, he
returns to his prestigious teaching post
with a new zest for life. His inspirational
diary of deeply felt personal experiences,
peppered with dry humour and self-irony,
is published and well-received.
The key to this success story lies
undeniably in the patient's imaginative self-
help approach to disability, his dogged
perseverance and the loving support of
family and friends. Dr Stephen's frank book
goes beyond giving
encouragement or
sound advice to
stroke victims. Full of
sharp observations
and provoking
thoughts about
modern life, it
provides a
valuable insight
into the attitudes
of the medical
profession and
NHS practices
for a wider readership.
In the first of our new regular feature
Marcela Hajek reviews The Diary of a
Stroke by Dr Martin Stephen,
headmaster of St Paul's School in
London.
When Martin Stephen - a highflier in his
prime - suffers a severe stroke without
warning, he can hardly walk, hold a pen,
see properly or speak. Shattered by the
ordeal, he starts chronicling his
determined battle with the crippling
condition step by step with perceptive
detail.
After a stressful bout of hospital tests
come the crucial months of intensive
rehabilitation at home. Not giving in to
fatigue, pain or frustration, he devises and
sticks to his daily routine of repetitive
exercises to speed up recovery. Trying to
revive his slowed down reflexes, he
bounces a tennis ball against the wall or
plays TV games for hours. By filling sheets
of paper with an illegible scrawl he
A Diary of a Strokeby Dr Martin Stephen
Dr Tony Rudd has beenappointed the first clinicaldirector for stroke inHealthcare for London whichis currently in the process ofredesigning stroke servicesacross the Capital.
Dr Rudd is the leadphysician for stroke at St
Thomas' Hospital, a positionhe has held since 1992. He isalso a member of the King’sCollege London StrokeResearch Programme andhas been involved with theSouth London StrokeRegister since it was set up.
Talking about his new job,
Tony said, “I will provide
support and advice to
individual clinicians, hospitals
and Primary Care Trusts on
how best to provide care.
However, I would not
hesitate to challenge
services that I thought were
failing to deliver high quality
care. I will represent stroke
professionals both within
London and nationally and
at all times represent the
interests of stroke survivors
and their carers.”
STROKE CZARFOR LONDON
Would you like to work with strokeresearchers to find out more aboutstroke and the services stroke survivorsneed?
Would you like to meet others whohave experienced stroke to shareexperiences and ideas?
If yes, then the Stroke ResearchPatients and Family Group is for you.
The group meets in the Boardroom ofthe Greenwood Theatre, 55 Weston
Stroke Research Patients and Family GroupStreet, London SE1 3RA
Tuesday 9th February 2010, 2-4pmTuesday 30th March 2010, 2-4pmTuesday 11th May 2010, 2-4pmTuesday 15th June 2010, 2-4pmTuesday 27th July 2010, 2-4pm
If you are interested in coming along,
please contact Chris McKevitt on
020 7848 6628
Expenses are available to help with
travel costs to the meeting.
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Receive the
newsletter by
If you wouldprefer toreceive thisnewsletter byemail pleasesend youremail addressto:
stroke-register
@kcl.ac.uk
@
FORWARD - NEWS FROM THE SOUTH LONDON STROKE REGISTER Issue 8 - January 2010
There have been a few changes
recently in the Register office. We
say farewell to Jo Brooke, the
register coordinator, after 4 years
of running the register.
SOUTH LONDON
STROKE REGISTER
Connect
The communication disability network
020 7367 0840, www.ukconnect.org
Speakability
Supports people living with aphasia and
their carers
080 8808 9572, www.speakability.org.uk
The Stroke Association
0845 30 33 100, www.stroke.org.uk
Different Strokes
Information and support for people under 50
0845 130 7172, www.differentstrokes.co.uk
Useful Contacts
If you have any queries about the Register please contact
Dr Juliet Addo on 020 7848 6613 or email