Updated National Clinical Guideline for Stroke

The 2023 edition of the National Clinical Guideline for Stroke for the UK and Ireland is now available. Over half the recommendations are new or have been updated. Big changes in the evidence base since the previous edition in 2016 have led to significant updates in three main areas:

• A big expansion of patients eligible for thrombolysis and thrombectomy;
• More intensive interventions in secondary prevention – antiplatelets, cholesterol, blood pressure; and
• More intensive rehab in hospital and at home to promote motor and language recovery.

This is a ‘five nations’ guideline, covering all of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.  The guideline is endorsed for use in clinical practice by the Royal College of Physicians (London), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.   This online-only publication on www.strokeguideline.org is supported by a plain language summary for people affected by stroke.    

The plain language summary (https://www.strokeguideline.org/plainlanguagesummary/) for people affected by stroke is an important complement to the full guideline and will be useful when talking to patients in your community pharmacy.  It tells people what care should be provided, when it should be provided and why.  One way to promote the summary is by printing the A4 Plan Language Summary poster  and making it available in your consultation rooms. Copies of an A5 leaflet are also available on request from strokeguideline@kcl.ac.uk.

Additional resources are available at www.strokeguideline.org/resources.