A consultation evaluating the future of stroke services in England has been launched by the Department of Health (DoH), it has emerged.

The department has asserted that care of stroke patients is "lagging behind" that provided for heart disease and cancer, despite being the third-ranked cause of death in the country.

The government consultation is set to inform a Stroke Strategy which is planned for publication later in the year, while assessing a variety of proposals to reduce the number of strokes and improve the methods by which the condition is addressed.

Alan Johnson, health secretary, said: "Despite the considerable gains in developing stroke units over the last few years, there remains more to be done to bring stroke services in line with cancer and heart disease services."

Proposals include investigating improved methods of identifying potential stroke case, such as the more rapid treatment of transient ischaemic attacks, also known as minor strokes, which can herald a more damaging infliction.

Meanwhile the Daily Express has focused upon plans for stroke victims to get brain scans within three hours in order to assess the damage resulting from such an event.