Best practice in management of stroke: Effective transfer of care from hospital to community

Transfer of care from hospital to the community after acute treatment for a stroke has been recognized as having a critical place in the stroke patient's pathway. Seamless transfer of care is a quality marker of the National Stroke Strategy. It is vitally important that patients receive good information and support after discharge from hospital because a failure to provide effective transfer of care can be detrimental to the long-term prognosis of the person with stroke and can compromise the care given in the acute setting. Effective transfer of care relies on good communication between health and social care providers in all settings, involvement of the patient and his/her family or carers in discharge planning, and the provision of appropriate information to the patient and his/her family.