Lincolnshire PCT's programme lead for long term conditions Carol Cottingham made the admission in a report presented to the county council's health scrutiny committee last Wednesday.


She identified several gaps in the service for stroke and mini-stroke patients across the county, including treatment inequality, lengthy waits for diagnostic investigation and lack of rehabilitation services.


In her report, she said: "When benchmarked against national best practice, stroke services in Lincolnshire have historically been poor.


"Differing commissioning intentions and lack of investment by the three previous Lincolnshire PCTs has resulted in poor access to stroke services.


"There is treatment inequality for patients across the county during both the acute care episode and post-stroke within community services."


The PCT announced plans to withdraw initial care for stroke patients from Grantham Hospital in November after a public consultation on the future of services at the hospital.


During the consultation, stroke experts, patients and health campaigners warned it would be a mistake.


This week, vice chair of the health scrutiny committee John Hurst said: "This is a frank admission that the present situation is far from satisfactory in terms of speed of diagnosis, speed of treatment and after-care.


"All we ever got until recently were honeyed words, empty reassurances and patronising drivel that no one believed. Now we have the truth.


"What we are seeing here is a new breed of manager emerging who is prepared to speak the truth as a basis for winning public confidence and a precursor to putting things right.


"The criticisims we made have been vindicated and now there is a major shift in the right direction.


"I am optimistic but the fight has to go on. Eternal vigilance is the price of decent, locally provided NHS services."


The PCT has drawn up plans to improve stroke services, which it says will be implemented in 2008/09.


Measures include improved stroke prevention, quicker access to diagnostic services, suspected stroke patients to be treated as an emergency with immediate clinical assessment and the establishment of specialist stroke and rehabilitation teams.


A spokesman said: "This is in line with the National Stroke Strategy published in December 2007. It means patients will get rapid intervention and treatment when they have a stroke or mini-stroke and support in the community."


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