People who have had a stroke should receive at least three hours of rehabilitation a day, according to new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The therapy should be delivered at least five days a week and must cover a range of disciplines, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.
The decision was made after an independent committee was presented with evidence that more intensive rehabilitation improved quality of life and activities of daily living.
While the recommendation was made, NICE’s chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Benger, acknowledged the challenges the healthcare system will have during implementation.
Especially due to the necessary increases in service and staff demand, as the updated guidelines recommend more rehabilitation that in NICE’s original published in 2013.
According to the Stroke Association, 100,000 people have strokes each year in the UK, leaving around 1.3 million stroke survivors.
“By focusing on what matters most, we need to find ways to enable people who have had a stroke to access the level of rehabilitation that supports their recovery and meets their long-term needs and goals,” said Prof Benger.
Dr Maeva May, associate director for policy and research at the Stroke Association, added: “We warmly welcome today’s announcement that NICE is recommending an increase in rehabilitation therapies for people who are recovering from stroke.”
She continued: “Sadly, stroke is still a leading cause of adult disability and it has wide-ranging impacts so it’s vital that every stroke survivor gets the support they need to give them the best chance of recovery.”
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