UK stroke rehab hit by staff shortages, health leaders warn
UK stroke rehab hit by staff shortages, health leaders warn
A nationwide survey flags critical gaps in rehabilitation as NHS staff shortages limit therapy, threatening stroke recovery across the UK.
Stroke survivors across the UK are being warned they’re not receiving the rehab they need as a national survey highlights chronic staff shortages across NHS stroke services. The 2025 Stroke Physiotherapy Workforce Survey examined 159 NHS services and found gaps spanning community stroke services, acute stroke teams, and broader rehabilitation provisions. Despite guidelines calling for three hours of therapy-based rehabilitation five days a week, patients typically receive three to four days of rehab while in hospital, dropping to one or two days after discharge when community support is supposed to step in.
Community services are short by 26% of the recommended physiotherapist workforce, acute stroke teams by 15%, and community rehabilitation support workers by 36%, compared with guideline levels, according to the survey. Ash James, director of practice and development at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said the data show that even with record numbers of registered physiotherapists, stroke services in hospitals and the community are unable to deliver the care patients need because they are chronically understaffed. He warned that something is going seriously wrong in the health system if the NHS is failing to turn workforce numbers into adequate patient care.
