Stroke patients who left hospital earlier suffered fewer deaths

The findings by Glasgow's Royal Infirmary could have major implications for the way patients are treated.

It found those who received community support after a stroke suffered fewer deaths and reduced dependency compared to those treated in hospital wards.

Stroke is the single greatest cause of severe disability in Scotland.

More than 89,000 people north of the border have suffered a stroke and charities which deal with the issue believe the study could offer a better quality of life for many.

The surprising finding for us overall was those people who did get home sooner... seemed to make a better recovery in the longer term Prof Peter Langhorne

The study was carried out by Professor Peter Langhorne of the hospital's geriatric medicine department and appears in the latest issue of The Lancet.

He told BBC Radio Scotland: "Most stroke patients are admitted to hospital when they fall ill for immediate medical care and also rehabilitation before being sent home.

"The services which we were exploring challenge this normal pathway and had rehabilitation teams that aim to get people home sooner, but provide more of the rehabilitation at home rather than in hospital."

Occupational therapy

Prof Langhorne added: "The surprising finding for us overall was those people who did get home sooner aided by support services at home did seem to make a better recovery in the longer term.

"After a stroke, there is a prolonged period where people make a degree of recovery. The brain reorganises the way it does things and people learn to do tasks they used to do automatically in other ways.

"This research suggests that people who relearn these skills in the home environment do experience a better recovery in the longer term than those who stay in a hospital environment."

Patients who were treated at home received a range of treatments to help their recoveries including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.