NHS Wales will analyse national stroke and neuro data, says Vaughan Gething

^{Vaughan Gething: No other UK nation has measured patient experience and outcomes across stroke and neurological conditions}

Patient reported experience measures and outcome measures will be used to inform the quality services for those conditions under Mr Gething’s proposals.

‘No other UK nation has attempted to measure patient experience and outcomes across both stroke and neurological conditions before,’ he said.

The aim is to use the data to identify where services need to be improved, evaluate changes and then measure improvements in the longer-term.

Philippa Ford, CSP public affairs and policy manager for Wales, said: ‘It is so important to have feedback from patients and the services they receive and I am really looking forward to the outcomes of this initiative.’

Delivery plan

The health secretary’s announcement came as NHS Wales and the Welsh government published their annual delivery plan for neurological conditions.

The document, which came out in March, says the official Welsh government organisations for neurological conditions and stroke have invested £1.2 million in the development of neurological rehabilitation services across the country’s seven health boards.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is using the money for a feasibility study on an inpatient service at Llandudno Hospital. The other six are investing in expanded or new community services.

Ms Ford said this money had already resulted in an improvement in physiotherapy provision across Wales.

Increasing costs

There are an estimated 350,000 people with a neurological condition in Wales, and the number of people dying as a result rose from 1,175 in 2013 to 1,365 in 2015, according to the document.

But it also says that NHS spending on neurological conditions is rising, and is its tenth largest area of spend.

In 2014-15 it was £283.7 million, an increase of £112.4 million (65 per cent) since 2010-11. Of this, more than 22 per cent (£63.5 million) was in primary care and the balance (78 per cent or £220 million) in secondary care.