UCLan stroke experts take specialist knowledge to India

18 December 2018

University leads on India’s first ever multidisciplinary conference on stroke care

Stroke experts from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have taken their specialist knowledge to India to work with a range of health care professionals.

UCLan, working in partnership with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Kerala, brought together stroke experts to deliver the first multi-disciplinary stroke conference in India.

In lower and middle-income countries such as India, the number of people having and dying from stroke is increasing. India now has the third-highest number of people dying from stroke of any country.

The two-day conference, Essentials of Stroke Care, covered recognition of stroke, acute care and prevention and rehabilitation. Working with colleagues from India, the UCLan-led team ran workshops on key areas of stroke care such as physiological and neurological monitoring and assessment of swallowing difficulties and management of continence following stroke.

Dame Caroline Watkins, Professor of Stroke and Older People’s Care, said: “Both in the UK and in India it is vital that those providing stroke care have the right knowledge and skills to deliver the best care for stroke patients and their families. This conference was an opportunity to share our knowledge with and to learn from our healthcare colleagues in India.”

"The conference provided a platform for the multidisciplinary team to come together and collectively share their knowledge, expertise and experience on stroke care."

The Conference, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) as part of a research project aiming to improve stroke care in India, was attended by around 340 delegates from across India including doctors, nurses, speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiologists and psychologists.

Professor P N Sylaja, President of the Indian Stroke Association and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences, said: “The conference provided a platform for the multidisciplinary team to come together and collectively share their knowledge, expertise and experience on stroke care.”