Long-awaited improvements in the treatment of stroke are starting to take effect, a report says today.
Patients who suffer a stroke should be getting better treatment thanks to regional planning of services, according to the Royal College of Physicians report.
The RCP has produced audits of stroke treatment every two years with funds from the Healthcare Commission.
The report says treatment of transient ischaemic stroke has also improved in the last two years.
It says there are now cardiac and stroke networks and this should lead to "continuing rapid improvement".
The report says there is still a need for "all" hospitals to recognise that stroke is a medical emergency and is treatable.
It calls for patients to go directly to acute stroke units – and warns that thrombolysis are only used when high quality stroke care is guaranteed.
Dr Tony Rudd, who chaired the joint college group that produced the report, said he was "delighted" at the improvements.
He said: "Hopefully these results will not induce a sense of complacency because we still have a long way to go before all patients can be assured of high quality care wherever and whenever they have their stroke."
Health minister Ann Keen said: "The report shows that stroke patients can expect to receive tailored and expert treatment on the NHS, with 96 per cent of hospitals in England now offering specialist acute stroke care and 98 per cent having a consultant with specialist knowledge of stroke.
"We are continuing our efforts to prevent strokes and improve outcomes for stroke patients and have invested £105 million to support the implementation of our National Stroke Strategy over the next three years."
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