Patients receiving care and treatment from Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s stroke service will soon receive additional screening and rehabilitation for visual conditions, thanks to a new project and funding. Patients at the stroke unit based at Stepping Hill Hospital will receive full orthoptist assessment when admitted with a stroke, which will mean more successful outcomes in treating the eye conditions which often accompany a stroke.
They will then receive orthoptic review and therapeutic support and rehabilitation within the community. Visual impairment is a common consequence of stroke, reported in up to 72 per cent of stroke survivors.
Impairments can include low vision, visual field loss, eye movement deficits resulting in double vision and/or nystagmus and visual perception difficulties. Individuals with post stroke visual impairment report a reduction in overall quality of life.
