Every patient with the symptoms of acute stroke needs to gain rapid access to an Acute Stroke Centre (ASC) or a Comprehensive Stroke Centre (CSC), ideally less than four hours after the onset of their symptoms.
On arrival patients are reviewed by a specialist stroke team who assess whether they have had a stroke and order tests such as a brain (CT) scan to confirm a diagnosis.
Patients diagnosed with a stroke within 4 hours of the onset of their symptoms may be suitable to receive a clot-busting treatment called thrombolysis.
Some patients diagnosed with a stroke in under 6 hours may be suitable for a clot retrieval treatment called mechanical thrombectomy. This procedure can only be performed in a CSC. This may therefore mean the patient needs to be moved to a different hospital via ambulance.
Patients will normally spend up to 3 days after their stroke receiving specialist stroke care in an ASC or CSC. After this period, acute stroke care is normally provided at an ASC or a Stroke Recovery Unit (SRU). Here patients continue to receive specialist input including rehabilitation.
You can find out more about acute stroke care here