Audit design

The SSNAP clinical audit is continuous. It collects data prospectively on all patients in England and Wales admitted to hospital following a stroke, from admission to 6 months after stroke. Data collection is ongoing until at least 31 March 2021 when the current contract for running the national stroke audit ends. The audit covers the pathway across providers by transferring the electronic record on a password protected webtool. The webtool has been developed to measure against evidence-based processes and outcomes of care. Data are of very high quality and completeness, which enables analysis at both team- and patient-centred level.

Eligibility criteria

Patients

All patients with a primary diagnosis of stroke coded as I-61, I-63 and I-4, but excluding subarachnoid haemorrhage should be submitted to SSNAP. Patients already in hospital for another condition and those not treated on the stroke unit should also be included. 

The minimum age for patient submission to SSNAP is 16. 

Stroke services

Any stroke service in England, Wales or Northern Ireland which treats at least 10 patients per year are eligible to participate in SSNAP. All acute hospitals in these countries that provide stroke care are actively submitting data to SSNAP with increasing numbers of post-acute care providers registering and participating in SSNAP.