New data reveals faster than ever hospital stroke response times, yet more to be done
Key points
The Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (AuSCR), run by The Florey, tracks stroke care to ensure hospital patients are receiving timely and effective treatment.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in Australia and those affected can have different outcomes depending on the hospital care they receive.
AuSCR's latest report reveals patients with stroke are receiving clot-busting treatment six minutes earlier than the previous year, but most hospitals are not meeting the recommended target time.
More Australian hospitals are delivering timely life-saving stroke treatment to patients and collectively have recorded the fastest response times since national acute stroke target priorities were set.
AuSCR - a collaborative partnership between The Florey, Stroke Foundation, Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation and Monash University - monitors the performance of hospitals against national stroke treatment priorities.
The targets were set in 2023 to improve acute stroke care and reduce avoidable death and disability.
AuSCR's latest annual report includes data for 2024 from 69 hospitals on almost 18,000 patients who were either admitted or presented to emergency departments.
A stroke happens when there is a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain. A stroke can be caused by a blockage (ischaemic stroke) or a bleed (haemorrhagic stroke).
Faster clot-busting therapy
One of the national targets tracked annually is thrombolytic 'door-to-needle' time - the number of minutes it takes to administer intravenous clot-busting or thrombolytic therapy to a patient.
In 2024, the median door-to-needle time fell by six minutes, from 73 to 67 minutes, compared with the previous year. Of the 62 Australian hospitals that provide thrombolytic therapy, 11 met the national recommended door-to-needle target of under 60 minutes.
Around one in eight (13 percent) patients with stroke received clot-busting therapy and 43 percent of this group were treated within the target time of less than one hour.
AuSCR's Executive Director, Professor Dominique Cadilhac, said every minute counts.
"Based on published evidence, reducing the door-to-needle time by six minutes may provide an estimated 11 additional healthy days per patient, equating to approximately 47 extra years of healthy life for this group of patients," Professor Cadilhac said.
"This improvement also means an estimated 25 patients have potentially avoided significant disability."
This positive trend looks set to continue with a provisional door-to-needle time of 62 minutes based on 2025 data up to 29 November 2025.
"The hard work of clinicians to drive down their door-to-needle times is commendable."
Young people experiencing stroke
AuSCR's report also revealed differences between the experiences of patients aged 18 to 55 who have had a stroke in contrast to older patients.
These young patients were less likely to go to hospital by ambulance, less likely to be prescribed secondary prevention medications, less often offered inpatient rehabilitation services and were more likely to be discharged home.
"Some of these findings are concerning and need further investigation to ensure that young people are receiving appropriate stroke care," Professor Cadilhac said.
The Florey runs Australia's first health service dedicated to helping young stroke survivors in Victoria and South Australia - the Young Stroke Service (YSS).
"YSS works with young people who have had a stroke, as well as their supporters and health professionals, and we offer a range of supports to help young people in their recovery to help address the unmet needs young stroke survivors face in their recovery," YSS Co-lead Investigator Professor Vincent Thijs said.
"By giving young people access to trusted information and practical tools, we're helping them regain control and rebuild their futures."
Regional stroke care
The report highlights Latrobe Regional Hospital in Victoria as an example of how median treatment times can be sped up through quality improvement activities. Based on provisional data from the first quarter of 2025, the hospital cut its door-to-needle time by 16 minutes from 74 to 58 minutes.
However, AuSCR found stroke patients receiving treatment in regional hospitals in 2024 were 76 percent less likely to receive treatment in a specialist stroke unit compared with patients in metropolitan hospitals.
"Unfortunately, the difference between strong recovery or lengthy rehabilitation can come down to where someone lives and their treatment hospital," Professor Cadilhac said.
Long-term outcomes
One in five stroke patients treated in 2024 died.
Three to six months after treatment, one in three patients reported having moderate to severe disability. One in two patients experienced other ongoing issues, including anxiety, depression or problems undertaking usual activities.
The most common signs of stroke can be remembered using the acronym F.A.S.T:
Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
Arms – Can they lift both arms?
Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time – is critical.
If you see or experience any of these signs, call 000 straight away.
The full report
