This text examines the potential of nurses to provide a first-point-of-contact consultation service as an alternative to going to see the doctor. It analyzes the different nurse practitioners models around the world and presents a proposal for the UK.

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in the developed world. The past decade has witnessed a paradigm shift in the management of stroke, with the understanding that care of acute stroke patients by specialists working in dedicated stroke units greatly improves patient outcomes; as a consequence, stroke units now exist in all major hospitals in the UK and Europe. Interventions to treat stroke have also increased in complexity, and the discipline of stroke medicine is now recognised as a medical specialty. This book is a concise, accessible and authoritative source of relevant and focussed information about stroke disease. It contains a thorough review of the management of cerebrovascular disease - everything you need to function effectively on an acute stroke unit. Tables and diagrams aid quick reference and easy comprehension. The most up-to-date and clinically relevant resource on the market, Stroke in Practice equips all medical professionals with evidence-based, practical knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of treatment of stroke. 'This text is directed at the non-specialist and emphasises practicality over academic niceties. If it inspires enthusiasm for a fascinating condition and convinces the reader that stroke is preventable, treatable and yet potentially devastating for patients and their families, it will justify its existence.' from the foreword by Kennedy R Lees