The effect of out of hours presentation with acute stroke on processes of care and outcomes: analysis of data from the Stroke Improvement National Audit Programme (SINAP).

Background: There is inconsistent evidence that patients with stroke admitted to hospital out of regular working hours (such as weekends) experience worse outcomes. We aimed to identify if inequalities in the quality of care and mortality exist in contemporary stroke care in England.

Methods: SINAP is a prospective database of acute stroke patients, documenting details of processes of care over the first 72 hours.