For what reason it has not adopted the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) audit process, which is used everywhere else in the…

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) operates through established audit arrangements within NHS Boards, with data collected and entered by trained local audit staff using nationally agreed data definitions. The Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) is based on a different audit methodology, data collection process and funding model, which means that equivalent measures are not available across all areas of the two programmes.To support greater consistency and comparability across the UK, the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland have undertaken a detailed review of SSCA data fields and definitions against those used by SSNAP and have aligned them where appropriate and feasible. This work is intended to strengthen benchmarking opportunities while ensuring that the audit continues to meet the needs of Scotland's health and care system.