The National Clinical Guideline for Stroke 2023 has key recommendations on the assessment and diagnosis of TIA:
- Patients with acute focal neurological symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours of onset (i.e. suspected TIA) should be given aspirin 300 mg immediately unless contraindicated and assessed urgently within 24 hours by a stroke specialist clinician in a neurovascular clinic or an acute stroke unit.
- Healthcare professionals should not use assessment tools such as the ABCD2 score to stratify risk of TIA, inform urgency of referral or subsequent treatment options.
- Patients with suspected TIA that occurred more than a week previously should be assessed by a stroke specialist clinician as soon as possible within 7 days.
- Patients with suspected TIA and their family/carers should receive information about the recognition of stroke symptoms and the action to be taken if they occur.
We have developed a TIA toolkit that provides guidance for clinicians managing patients after a TIA.
The Stroke Association provide excellent information for patients and you can download their guide below.
Greater Manchester TIA Services
All of our stroke units offer TIA services and only Salford Royal offers appointments at the weekend (for Salford residents only), however, we are working towards 7 day services at all units. Patients should be referred to their local stroke unit following a TIA; they do not need to be seen at a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit.
You can download contact details for referrals for our stroke teams here.
- Fairfield General Hospital – Service for Bury, Oldham, North Manchester & Rochdale patients. Use this referral form and patient information sheets – plain English and aphasia friendly
- Manchester Royal Infirmary – Service for Central Manchester patients. If external use this referral form and patient information; internal form is electronically available on the intranet).
- Royal Albert Edward Infirmary – Service for Wigan, Wrightington and Leigh patients. Use this referral form and patient information leaflets – plain English and aphasia friendly.
- Royal Bolton Hospital – Service for Bolton patients. Use this referral form and patient information.
- Salford Royal Hospital – Service for Salford patients. Use this referral form and patient information leaflets – plain English and aphasia friendly
- Stepping Hill Hospital – Service for Stockport and Eastern Cheshire patients. Use this referral form and patient information – plain English and aphasia friendly.
- Tameside General Hospital – Service for Tameside and Glossop patients. The forms are online for internal use but for others use this flowchart, and referral form and patient information leaflets – plain English and aphasia friendly
- Wythenshawe Hospital – Service for Trafford and South Manchester patients. Information can be found here. Referrals made via HIVE system electronically with GP’s / Others using this referral form and patient information sheets – plain English and aphasia friendly.