Fewer than one in fifteen stroke survivors in Northern Ireland, England and Wales are receiving the level of rehabilitation therapy recommended by clinical guidelines, according to a new audit.

The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) found that only 6.4% of patients received three hours of therapy per day, at least five days a week, during January to March this year. This is down from 7.5% in the previous quarter.

The average amount of therapy received was 40 minutes, six minutes less than in late 2024. Some patients received only 15.2 minutes of therapy, while the maximum was 57.3 minutes.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) state that all stroke patients should receive three hours of physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy. These guidelines are followed in Northern Ireland.

The audit also found that only 68% of patients received continued rehabilitation support after being discharged from hospital.

Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said the figures exposed a reality where many survivors are left without necessary care and support. She noted that stroke is both a medical emergency and a long-term condition affecting many aspects of health and social care.

The charity estimates that stroke costs the UK £25.7bn annually, with £13.7bn spent on social care and £6.7bn on wider societal costs such as lost work and caregiving. The ageing population and rising rates of high blood pressure and diabetes could see annual stroke cases rise to 115,483 by 2030.

The Department of Health and Social Care emphasised NHS efforts to improve stroke care, including a pledge to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by a quarter within a decade, and work to increase thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates.