Specialist care for stroke patients needs to be improved at Lincolnshire's hospitals, according to a new report.

The Independent Commission for Health Improvement has looked at all the services provided by hospitals in the county over the past year.

The report does praise staff enthusiasm and says standards are generally good

But it warns that some stroke patients are being put on hospital wards that do not meet their needs.

Action plan

Dr Keith Sands, medical director of the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said the findings of the report would be looked at.

He also accepted care for stroke patients should be improved.

"We will be developing a detailed action plan to address all these issues," he said.

Simon Millwall, the East Midlands representative of the Stroke Association, said important services for stroke patients could not be found in Lincolnshire hospitals.

"It is very important that stroke patients are admitted to a specialist unit and have specialist trained staff and particularly a rehabilitation team - including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy - as soon as they are identified as having a stroke."

Recovery rates

He added that national requirements to have dedicated stroke units would be in place by April 2004.

The Trust runs nine hospital sites and employs 6,828 staff.

David Loasby, chief executive of the Trust, said the report had praised other services, including staff commitment and recovery rates.

"The report finds that our waiting times for patients to be admitted into hospital from A&E are very good in comparison to national averages," he said.