The UK Stroke Forum (UKSF) is the UK’s largest multidisciplinary conference for stroke care professionals. It lasts three days and consists of a large selection of exhibitors, lectures, parallel streams and workshops. This year’s Stroke Forum was held in Aberdeen for its 20th birthday celebration. The turnout was excellent as always.

The venue was perfect for those attending the opening and closing plenary, seminars, lectures, panel discussions, or just taking time to stroll around the vast array of exhibitions and poster presentations. BIOS had the opportunity to host a stall again this year. Many thanks to Ann-Louise Mackay from NHS Grampian for helping me run the stall this year.

Many health professionals, along with others involved with stroke, attended the BIOS stall to ask questions regarding visual problems following stroke. There were several orthoptists from around the UK attending the forum this year. They came by to say hello while browsing the stalls in between seminars.

There were many options of seminars throughout the forum. One of which was a seminar hosted by Dr Claire Howard and Mrs Joy Wyche, titled ‘Providing the right information about driving and vision post stroke’. This seminar was extremely well attended and gave a summary of the findings of a driving questionnaire previously distributed to those who review patients with visual issues post stroke and who also drive. You may remember the questionnaire distributed earlier this year. The session was a semi-interactive review of the results of that questionnaire. The presentation focused on a few of the questions, and the audience then discussed the possible answer, from a multiple-choice given. The correct answer was then given. Some responses in the room highlighted the possibility of clinicians incorrectly giving patients permission to resume driving or wrongly telling patients not to inform the DVLA of visual issues. The DRIVE study team will be publishing this full data soon. Watch this space.

Options of sessions available for delegates were vast in subject matter. There were a variety of sessions that focused on audit findings, medical treatment, rehabilitation, and also on stroke survivor psychological and mental wellbeing.

For England, Wales and Northern Ireland there was an update on the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP). This is the first year that vision has had a specific inclusion in the audit. Vision was mentioned in the update; however there is always room for more input from orthoptics with stroke survivors. The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) currently does not involve vision as a specific part, however during the session of Stroke Services in Scotland, Dr Matt Lambert (national clinical lead for stroke) and Therese Lebedis (AHP consultant – Stroke Rehabilitation Lead, National Stroke Improvement Programme) hinted at the possibility of Scotland joining the SSNAP. Watch this space, Scottish Orthoptists!

The Forum also had an array of exhibitions and amazing poster presentations from around the UK and further afield. There were many posters from Orthoptists. Gillian Lamont, Nadia Venturi, Professor Fiona Rowe, Dr Lauren Hepworth and Dr Claire Howard all had posters accepted for presentation this year.

Overall, the 2025 UKSF was a huge success! The next UKSF is in Liverpool in 2026 and is worth attending for any orthoptist who works with a stroke caseload.

A final, special note goes to Dr Lauren Hepworth, who has been announced as the chair-elect for the UK Stroke Forum. This is an amazing opportunity and we wish her the best going forward with this role.

Tracy Thomson
Co-lead, Stroke and Neuro Rehabilitation CAG