What is the Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA)?
The SSCA started collecting information about stroke care in 2002 and now includes all hospitals managing acute stroke in Scotland. Since its inception SSCA has helped to drive the improvements in stroke care which have contributed to the lower mortality rates and improved outcomes for stroke patients.
The SSCA collects a variety of information about stroke care however, the main purpose of the audit is to monitor performance against national standards and criteria.
Data are collected relating to the following groups of patients:
- Patients admitted to hospital with a stroke (inpatients)
- Patients seen in ambulatory care settings (TIA clinics, Emergency dept, Ward attendees)
- Patients receiving hyper-acute treatment with thrombolysis or thrombectomy
- Patients undergoing carotid intervention
Detailed criteria for assessing the quality and availability of stroke rehabilitation are available, and annual organisational audits determine whether comprehensive stroke services across the whole patient pathway are available in each NHS Board.
SSCA produces monthly and annual reports:
The monthly reports contain only information pertinent to individual Board areas. They are shared with stroke Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) who disseminate them to appropriate personnel within their Boards, for example Board members, service managers, planners and ward teams.
Page last reviewed: 16 Sep 2020
