Stroke is the third commonest cause of death in Scotland and the most common cause of severe physical disability amongst adults. It is estimated that about 15,000 people in Scotland have a stroke each year. Hospital care for these patients accounts for 7% of all NHS beds and 5% of the entire NHS budget. The evidence demonstrating benefits of organised specialist stroke care in improving outcomes is now well established.

The 2024 National Report: Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Report

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme report - Annual Report 2024 - (external link) has been published by Public Health Scotland on Tuesday 30 July 2024.

Previous annual reports can be found at our: Reports page

Annual Scottish Stroke Care Audit National Meeting

The next SSCA National Meeting will take place on Thursday 15 August 2024 in Dundee! This meeting will run from 09:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please register by filling in the form at: https://forms.office.com/e/b2LVKDcNKt - (external link).

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) was established in 2002 and now includes all hospitals managing acute stroke in Scotland. Since its inception SSCA has helped to drive the improvements in stroke care which have contributed to the reduction in mortality rates and improved outcomes for stroke patients. The Audit is now an integral support for the care provided by every Scottish NHS Board. The NHS Boards use the Audit to evaluate their stroke care against National Standards and to drive improvements.