What this indicator shows
TS2 describes the variation in access to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) within a thrombectomy network. It focuses on the difference in MT rates between the hub and the lowest-performing referring (spoke) hospital.
This indicator is designed to highlight inequality of access within a system, rather than overall levels of thrombectomy activity.
Included
- Thrombectomy-performing hub hospitals.
- Referring (spoke) hospitals within the network that admit stroke patients.
Excluded / not applicable
- Networks with only direct admissions and no referring spoke hospitals do not receive points for this indicator.
Related dataset question:2.11.0= Yes
How TS2 is defined
TS2 is calculated as the difference between the hub MT rate and the lowest spoke MT rate, expressed relative to the hub MT rate.
- Numerator
The difference between the hub MT rate and the lowest spoke MT rate:
(Hub MT rate – lowest spoke MT rate) - Denominator
The hub MT rate.
The result is expressed as a proportion, with larger values indicating greater variation.
How to interpret this indicator
- Higher values indicate greater variation in MT access between the hub and the lowest-performing spoke.
- Lower values indicate more consistent access across the network.
- TS2 highlights differences within a system, not how a system compares nationally.
Important considerations
- Networks that include only direct admissions (with no referring spoke hospitals) do not receive points for this indicator.
- Differences in TS2 may reflect factors such as geography, referral pathways, transport times, or case mix.
- This indicator should be interpreted alongside other access and timeliness measures within the TSS.