Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to improve access to stroke rehabilitation after discharge from hospital when discharge funding for step down care ends on 31st March 2023.

NHS England have invested in the Stroke Quality Improvement in Rehabilitation (Squire) programme. Regional Squire managers in collaboration with integrated stroke delivery networks and newly formed integrated care boards are working to improve access to community-based stroke rehabilitation

The Government is making available up to £1.6 billion of additional funding to reduce delayed discharges in 2023/24 and 2024/25. This is on top of the £500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund already announced for 2022/23. NHS England recommends that stroke survivors access specialist community-based stroke rehabilitation services, which facilitate transfer of care from hospital to home and provide specialist rehabilitation in their home or place of residence.