Too often people are kept in hospital or transferred to a nursing home when, with the right levels of support and therapy, they would be able to return to their own home

Andrew Foster, Audit Commission

It uncovered huge regional variations in care, with some areas having five times the number of rehabilitation beds per person over 75 than other health authorities.

The report also found that only half of acute-care hospitals had a stroke unit - despite the fact that strokes are the leading cause of major disability in Britain.

There is evidence that such units can lower death rates by a fifth and speed a victim's recovery.

Over a third of stroke patients were not even told what a stroke was while in hospital and the majority received no ongoing therapy at home after discharge.

Audit Commission controller Andrew Foster said: "A lot of attention is given to the treatment that people receive in hospital, but the support they receive as they recover is equally important.

"Too often people are kept in hospital or transferred to a nursing home when, with the right levels of support and therapy, they would be able to return to their own home."

The Audit Commission concluded that more effective rehabilitation services would help reduce waiting lists and ease strains on the system during the winter months.

'Very worrying'

The Stroke Association describes the situation as "very worrying".

Eoin Redahan, director of public relations, said: "Thousands of stroke patients lives are being put at risk and their chances of recovery are being diminished when there is an easy solution.

"Stroke services are very much the cinderella when it comes to receiving attention from the NHS but hopefully this independent report will spur managers and physicians into action."

Stroke patients take up around 20% of acute beds and 25% of long term beds.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We entirely agree with the commission that it is vital to get people back into their own homes as soon as possible, with the right levels of care and support.

"Proposals for a new pattern of services, which provide better recovery and rehabilitation for older people, will be brought forward in the national plan to be published in July, which will emphasise the importance of good joint working between health and social services."