The effects of a stroke may alter someone’s ability to move, feel, communicate and function. As a result of this, NHS Lothian aims to deliver stroke services both in hospital and the community that can empower people who have survived a stroke to make the best possible recovery.
Following admission to hospital, patients with stroke should be admitted to a designated stroke unit and they should remain in the stroke service for as long as they require stroke specialist services. This applies to both hospital and community-based services.
Lothian has a population of around 850,000 people and around 1,500 are admitted to hospital each year having had a stroke. Of these around 700 will be discharged back to their own homes. NHS Lothian covers an area administered by four local authorities; Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian. Around 400 stroke survivors will be discharged home in Edinburgh each year with about 100 each in the other three local authority areas.
This page introduces our community-based stroke pathways into early supported hospital discharge, community rehabilitation, exercise after stroke, specialist outpatient services and long term condition self management.
The NHS Lothian Stroke MCN recognises and embraces joint partnership working with local authorities and the third sector in delivering the kinds of services that stroke survivors need.
To view the pathways related to the journeys that stroke survivors will make out of hospital back home in their local communities please click on the link below.
NHS Lothian Community Stroke Rehabilitation Pathways and Referral Guidance
Below is an explanation of how the pathways and referral guidance differ:
Pathways
These pages show pathways which illustrate the journeys that stroke patients may make into community rehabilitation in the local authority areas covered by NHS Lothian when they leave a hospital stroke unit. Their purpose is to inform stroke multidisciplinary teams, patients and families what is available to them and to provide brief descriptions of services and how to make contact with them.
Guidance
These pages provide some guidance on how to choose between services illustrated in the community stroke rehabilitation pathways immediately following discharge from hospital. While this may help with clinical decision making and discharge planning, enquiry to the specific service concerned should be made if in any doubt.
