MORE than four times the number of people with suspected minor strokes are being assessed, thanks to major improvements to the county's revamped specialist service.

The improvements have been singled out in the National Audit Office's (NAO) latest Good Practice Guide into stroke care services across the country.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust was among 14 authorities and PCTs judged to have made 'innovative' improvements by the NAO.

In 2006 it found that the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust had just one transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) clinic a week, staffed by one consultant and a general nurse.

The audit report said: "The TIA clinic had limited workforce capacity, and was unable to provide patients with timely access to clinic and diagnostic appointments."

At the time on average only 10 new patients were being seen each week, it added.

Since then, following calls by the South West Strategic Health Authority to improve the TIA service – a new seven-day mobile clinic has been introduced with 45 new patients now being seen every week.

It has also nearly doubled the number of specialist stroke rehabilitation beds at the Camborne and Redruth hospital from 12 to 23.

Stroke specialist nurse Mary Frazer said: "As a result of the new clinics anyone with TIA symptoms referred by the GP is seen within 24 hours. This is crucial for those at risk of going on to have a major stroke and ensures they get the treatment – sometimes lifesaving surgery – in time."

The improvements have come at a time when demand for the service has rocketed - which health officials are putting down to a nationwide NHS stroke awareness campaign.

Under the revamp a central referral point has been established and a clinic team created with a medical consultant, a nurse, a stroke care co-ordinator (specialist nurse) and a vascular technician with rapid access to imaging and the vascular surgical team.

Dedicated

"I am extremely proud of the service.

"It's been a lot of hard work by a dedicated team. Key to all this are the TIA secretary's based in Camborne and Redruth who do their utmost to reassure and explain the procedures to patients and get them seen in 24 hours," added Mary Frazer.

Carol Williams, director of service improvement for the PCT, said there are plans to develop the service further.

"We want to provide more supported discharge so that patients can leave hospital earlier and have rehabilitation specialists visit them in their homes.

"We also want to establish a specialist rehabilitation stroke centre in Bodmin to meet the needs of patients in the east of the county," she said.