Port Macquarie Hospital: Peak body honours facility as among nation’s top stroke care centres

A hospital in a coastal NSW town has been named among the state’s best when it comes to the care of stroke patients

Port Macquarie Hospital

Port Macquarie Base Hospital has been recognised as the state’s top provider of stroke patient care by the industry's peak body, the Australian Stroke Coalition.

The hospital was one of seven hospitals awarded an Excellence Award by the Australian Stroke Coalition for its treatment and handling of emergency stroke victims from presentation to discharge.

The ASC benchmarks the performance of hospitals on nine best-practice stroke treatment and care methods.

Port Macquarie Base Hospital

They are measured on the performance of the care and treatment provided, including treatment with thrombolysis (blood clot-dissolving treatment) within 60 minutes of hospital arrival, the provision of stroke unit care and the provision of a discharge care plan.

Port Macquarie was the sole NSW hospital to be recognised. It ranked alongside sixth other top performing hospitals nationally including Townsville Hospital (QLD), Rockhampton Hospital (QLD), Echuca Regional Health (VIC), Princess Alexandra Hospital (QLD), Wimmera Base Hospital (VIC), Caboolture Hospital (QLD).

The nine benchmark performance indicators that the ASC use to assess a hospital’s performance are;

1) Provision of stroke unit care

2) Treatment with thrombolysis OR endovascular clot retrieval (if offered by hospital)

3) Treatment with thrombolysis within 60 minutes of hospital arrival

4) treatment with endovascular clot retrieval within 90 minutes of hospital arrival

5) patients mobilised on the same day or day after hospital arrival

6) provision of antihypertensive medication on discharge

7) provision of antithrombotic medications on discharge

8) provision of lipid-lowering medication on discharge

9) provision of a discharge care plan if discharged to the community

Sharon McGowan

Professor Dominique Cadilhac from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health congratulated the winning hospitals.

“It is encouraging to see so many hospitals dedicated to continuous improvement and achieving the best outcomes for their patients every day,” Professor Cadilhac said.

“Stroke strikes the brain and can change lives in an instant, but we know that patients with stroke, who are given timely access to high quality treatment and care, will have the best chance of survival, recovery and prevention of recurrent stroke in the longer term.”

The care being delivered by Port Macquarie Hospital is in line with National Stroke Guidelines and National Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standards.

It is the second year that the National Quality Stroke Service Awards have been held.

Mid North Coast Local Health District Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick.

Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Sharon McGowan said it was great to see regional hospitals recognised in the Awards.

“More than 27,400 Australians will experience a stroke for the first time in their lives in 2020, many of these will be experienced by those living in regional and rural areas of our country,” Ms McGowan said.

“Regional Australians are 17 per cent more likely to experience a stroke.

“Traditionally access to high-quality stroke treatment and care has been limited outside of our metropolitan cities, as most stroke specialists and tailored services are in metropolitan areas.

“The regional hospital Award recipients this year, show that with focus, investment and support, improvements can be made. High quality stroke treatment and care can be accessible when and where it is needed,” she said.

The 2020 awards have been based on data submitted to the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR) for stroke hospital admissions in 2019.