National guidelines say people who have had a stroke should receive therapy-based rehabilitation for three hours a day, five days a week. Guidelines say people who have had a stroke should receive therapy-based rehabilitation for three hours a day, five days a week (Alamy/PA)A national survey of stroke physiotherapists working in 159 NHS services across the UK found workforce shortages across different aspects of stroke care. These included community stroke services, acute stroke teams and community rehabilitation support. Findings from the 2025 Stroke Physiotherapy Workforce Survey suggest there are 26% fewer physiotherapists than national guidance recommends in community stroke services, acute stroke teams are operating with 15% fewer physiotherapists than recommended, and community rehabilitation support workers are 36% below guidance levels. “Something is going seriously wrong in our health system if the NHS is failing to turn workforce growth into the posts required to meet even the minimum standards for stroke rehabilitation.

Source: The Times April 03, 2026 11:18 UTC