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NHS England announces a new stroke prevention programme

NHS England has announced a new stroke prevention programme, which aims to diagnose heart conditions earlier and thereby reduce the risk for stroke. The £9 million programme which is part of the ‘NHS Long Term Plan’ will provide targeted screening and treatment for more than 18,000 individuals who have a higher risk for stroke. The programme will run until March 2020 and is expected to save at least 200 lives and prevent ~700 strokes.

Under the programme, trained specialist nurses and clinical pharmacists will help identify patients with atrial fibrillation, which is the major risk factor for stroke. Specialist clinicians will identify patients in each surgery who have a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation but are not being treated for the same. Patients identified as being at risk will receive a personalised treatment regimen created with their general practitioner.

NHS England's Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis, said: "Treating people who have atrial fibrillation with anticoagulation drugs, reduces the risk of stroke by two-thirds yet only half of those with the condition who go on to suffer a stroke had been prescribed them."


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