Shortage of NHS stroke specialists leaving thousands dead or disabled, say doctors

Exclusive: Chronic lack of consultants across UK health service means patients do not get drugs or surgery in time

Thousands of people who have had a stroke are ending up severely disabled or dying because the NHS has too few specialists to treat them quickly enough, senior doctors are warning.

A chronic shortage of stroke consultants across the NHS means that patients are suffering horrendous consequences because of delays in getting clot-busting drugs and surgery, they said.

70% of stroke units are short of at least one consultant in stroke care, and many are two down.

53 of 84 hospitals that responded had vacancies for a total of 96 consultants.

The NHS relies heavily on locum doctors to fill holes in the workforce caused by the difficulty in recruiting new consultants.

10% of the NHS's 423 substantive (permanent) consultants are due to retire in the next five years, exacerbating the existing shortage.