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Hundreds of New Zealanders have needlessly died because of inadequate stroke services, the president of Stroke New Zealand says.
Stroke NZ president Jonathan Baskett said too little had changed since best practice guidelines for stroke treatment were introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2003.
Dr Baskett, speaking at Stroke New Zealand's annual meeting in Wellington, said only one district health board out of the 21 nationwide had internationally acceptable stroke services.
There were no good reasons for the slow adoption of the guidelines.
"I believe hundreds of New Zealanders have needlessly died and thousands have a life after stroke unacceptably compromised by inadequate stroke services nationally."
Health Minister David Cunliffe said this month that avoidable hospital admissions and deaths from asthma, hospital deaths from strokes and breast cancer survival rates were below the OECD average.
- NZPA
