Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard
Despite well-established guidelines, not all people with stroke receive appropriate treatment. The Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard highlights key aspects of care for acute stroke, a time-critical medical emergency.
Story of Excellence
Simulation-led learning drives faster stroke response times
Stroke Services at University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health (VIC) has been recognised with a 10th Anniversary Clinical Care Standards Excellence Award.
Learn more about how the Stroke Services team overhauled their ‘Code Stroke’ pathway to improve their stroke treatment timeframes or watch our webinar - Clinical Care Standards on the frontline: Five Stories of Excellence.
Review of the Standard
The Commission has commenced a review of the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard to ensure currency with relevant guidelines and clinical practice. The revised standard is expected to be published in 2026.
The Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard was first published in 2015 and was last reviewed against guidelines in 2019.
For updates on the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard review, follow us on X (Twitter), subscribe to our eNewsletters or contact ccs@safetyandquality.gov.au.
Download the Standard
Why we need the Acute Stroke CCS
Stroke is a serious medical emergency, and timely treatment is critical. With the right treatment at the right time, many people are able to recover from stoke.
Since the clinical care standard was first released in 2015, there have been considerable gains in the care of people with acute stroke. However there is still room for improvement. Newer therapies are available to treat blood clots that can cause stroke, including clot-busting medicines (thrombolysis) and clot retrieval. However many patients do not receive these potentially life-saving treatments. Fewer Australian patients receive timely thrombolysis than in the United States and the United Kingdom.1
Contact us
If you have questions about this clinical care standard, please email ccs@safetyandquality.gov.au.