NHS Stroke Care Crisis: Thousands Dead or Disabled Due to Specialist Shortage

A critical lack of specialist doctors in the NHS is causing thousands of stroke patients to die or become severely disabled, senior doctors warn. They say a chronic shortage of stroke consultants means patients face dangerous delays in receiving vital treatments. These include clot-busting drugs and surgery, which must be given quickly to be effective. New data reveals the scale of the problem. 70% of stroke units are missing at least one consultant. Many are missing two. Of 84 hospitals surveyed, 53 had vacant consultant posts. In total, they reported 96 unfilled jobs. The NHS is using temporary locum doctors to cover these gaps. However, the situation is expected to worsen. 10% of the NHS's 423 permanent stroke consultants are due to retire within five years.