Stroke Medicine
This programme has been developed in response to the clear need for the NHS to train physicians in the specialist expertise of stroke medicine. Stroke is the commonest cause of hospital death and severe acquired disability in the UK, and accounts for over 5% of NHS resources. Stroke encompasses elements of neurology, cardiovascular disease, ageing and rehabilitation. Until now there has been no formal training structure for those who wish to pursue a career in Stroke Medicine and it has been difficult for trainees to obtain the full range of relevant skills.
The primary purpose of sub-specialist training in stroke medicine is to promote the development of physicians with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to function as an expert consultant resource within specialist stroke services. The detailed role of a stroke physician will vary depending on the type of service within which they are practising. The training programme recognises this, but expects all stroke specialists to have core knowledge and skills in all areas of diagnosis, investigation and treatment relevant to the care of stroke patients. Furthermore, stroke physicians will require skills in service development, team working, teaching, critical appraisal and service evaluation. They should be familiar with stroke research methods and keep up to date with relevant research findings.
