STROKE patients treated at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital receive some of the best care in the country, according to findings by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme.

The latest quarterly performance data shows Musgrove’s performance among the top 5% of the 160 stroke units in the UK who routinely admit stroke patients.

And Musgrove’s overall performance in the last six months was the highest across the South-West region, concludes SSNAP, which provides information to inform the public how well their local hospital is performing at diagnosing and treating stroke patients.

Musgrove chief executive Jo Cubbon said: “These results are excellent news for all patients in Somerset who are cared for by the Musgrove stroke team.

“Patients who suffer a stroke need to know they are receiving the very best care from the very best staff and I am confident we have both.”

Dr Rob Whiting, consultant stroke specialist at Musgrove Park Hospital, said: “It is great to see the latest data shows our performance to be amongst the best stroke units in the UK.

“Nevertheless, we know there are still areas in which we can improve and we will continue to work hard to deliver high standards of care for our patients.

“Time is crucial for people who have suffered a stroke and, no matter what time of day they might have a stroke, they have access to the best facilities and the best staff to provide them with the greatest chance of recovery.”