STROKE services are improving at most of the region’s hospitals, but some have fallen behind, figures have revealed.

The performance of stroke units improved at ten out of 16 hospitals in the North-East and North Yorkshire between 2006 and last year, according to the National Sentinel Audit for Stroke – but only five were rated in the top 25 per cent in the country.

Assessments were carried out by the Royal College of Physicians.

Stroke units in Bishop Auckland General Hospital, University Hospital of North Durham, Durham City, and The Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, were rated in the bottom 25 per cent.

The steepest decline in the quality of services offered to stroke patients was at Bishop Auckland and The Friarage, which were both in the top 25 per cent of stroke units in 2006.

The units were judged on ten criteria, including whether a brain scan was taken within 24 hours of the stroke.

Despite some improvements, the audit found that a quarter of stroke patients reviewed were not offered the best treatment for stroke – a stay in a dedicated stroke unit.

The poor performance of the once highly-rated Bishop Auckland stroke unit was criticised by Sam Zair, spokesman for the Save Our Hospital campaign, which has tried to stop acute medical services, including the stroke unit, being moved from Bishop Auckland as part of a reorganisation of acute hospital services in County Durham.

Mr Zair said: “It has gone from being one of the best stroke units in the region to one of the worst. It just shows the knock-on effect of taking away services and manpower.”

Hospitals which were given the top rating included Hartlepool, North Tees, North Tyneside, Hexham and Ashington.

Hospitals trusts rated as being average performers included Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tees (The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough), South Tyneside, Harrogate, York and Scarborough.

A spokesman for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have been making improvements in stroke care – we opened a specialist stroke unit at University Hospital of North Durham last year, and there is much good practice there, and in the Bishop Auckland stroke unit.

“Better stroke care is a crucial part of the Seizing the Future plan to provide better specialist care 24 hours a day.

“We have made progress since last year’s audit, but there is more to be done.”