CLAHRC GM | The Greater Manchester Stroke Assessment Tool

Please note that this is not an active project. The GM-SAT2 resources were updated after work exploring post-stroke reviews for stroke survivors in care homes.

Updated GM-SAT2 resources were launched in December 2018 and can be freely accessed below in the 'GM SAT2 components section'.

The GM-SAT2 is made up of several components, which collectively provide tools to help deliver a comprehensive, person-centred post-stroke review. All components are fully described below, where they can be freely downloaded.

Why is it important?

Post-stroke reviews help ensure that stroke survivors and their families continue to feel supported after stroke. Stroke is a long term condition and survivors are likely to experience changes in their needs over time, so reviews provide the chance to access any advice, support, information and rehabilitation that may be needed.

The National Clinical Guideline for Stroke recommends that all stroke survivors should be offered a review at six months and 1 year after the stroke, and annually thereafter.

What did we do?

There have been several strands of work to develop the GM-SAT2 since 2009.

Original GM-SAT: To promote the implementation of reviews, CLAHRC GM reviewed literature and worked with stroke survivors, carers and professionals to identify common, long-term problems people experience after a stroke. This informed what sort of questions should be asked at a review and led to the original Greater Manchester Stroke Assessment Tool (GM-SAT).
Developing Easy-access (aphasia-friendly) tools: To support equality of access to reviews for those with communication difficulties, CLAHRC GM worked with Speakeasy, a communication support charity based in North West England.
Local and National impact (see below): After its launch in 2010, the GM-SAT became the most widely used tool, nationally, to support delivery of post-stroke reviews.
Feedback from healthcare professionals and research in care homes: We received feedback that the toolkit could be improved for use with stroke survivors living in care homes. So we collaborated to modify the GM-SAT and explored its acceptability, value and feasibility in care homes through a mixed methods research study. You can read more about that study on the project page here.

GM-SAT2 was launched in December 2018 after pooling our learning from all previous work. GM-SAT2 is suitable for conducting reviews with all stroke survivors, regardless of where they are living.

Watch our video below that describes more about GM-SAT2 and access all the components of the GM-SAT2 toolkit in the Downloadable Resources section at the bottom of the page.

Local and national impact

The GM-SAT was launched in 2010 and is used by NHS and third sector organisations across the UK. It is the only post-stroke review tool to be referenced and recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard for Stroke in Adults, as well as the British Association of Stroke Physicians.

The Stroke Association is commissioned to provide reviews for many services nationally and they use the GM-SAT for all clients.

“We find the GM-SAT brilliant to use for all patients as a stroke can devastate people’s day-to-day lives. While all the clinical tests and bloods may be fine, if they’re going home and can’t make a cup of tea then it is really hard for them. In Salford, we see around 30 patients every month for their six month review. For this we use the GM-SAT to recognise and plug the gaps that people have. It helps those who have gone back to work who no-one would really know that they’ve had a stroke and may just have confidence issues, all the way to patients who are severely cognitively impaired, doubly incontinent and need 24 hour care. It’s not just patients who appreciate the tool, the feedback from all our stroke coordinators is that GM-SAT is very easy to use. It’s simple – in a good way – and has put a structure and framework around what they were doing already. It gives them permission to ask questions that perhaps they might’ve found embarrassing in the past, such as around sexual health or financial questions and also means they don’t forget. It also gives stroke patients and their carers the opportunity to ask these questions too.” (Sue Fawcett, Community Stroke Coordinator for the Stroke Association in Salford, published Feb 2012)

Who did we work with?

The Stroke Association

Speakeasy

Downloadable Resources