A Bradford doctor is heading up a study which has been awarded £1.2million to look at the effectiveness of a new training programme for carers of stroke patients.

Dr Anne Forster, who works at St Luke's Hospital in Bradford, will lead researchers from the University of Leeds and King's College, London, to study the mental, physical and social effects on 300 patients and carers who have been through a structured training programme.

The three-and-a-half-year research project will ensure carers have the knowledge they need in order to understand the effects of stroke and the skills required to cope with its consequences.

The funding has been provided by the Medical Research Council, a national organisation aimed at improving the health of the nation.

The research is a first step towards a national roll-out of the training programme and Bradford Teaching Hospitals is one of 30 units which could be involved in the research.

Dr Forster, of the Academic Unit of Elderly Care and Rehabilitation, said the cash award was fantastic for Bradford Teaching Hospitals She said: "There is no standardised training offered to people who suddenly find themselves having to care for a loved one who has suffered a stroke.

"This means that the current level of training and support depends on the resources of the hospital where the patient happens to be.

"It's thought that having an approved structured programme will increase the confidence of carers to look after the patient and will better equip them to cope with their new role and this research will test if that's true.

"Hopefully this study will help inform the way health professionals work with carers and patients in the future.

"Stroke is the single most common cause of severe disability in the UK. Once patients leave the hospital, it often falls on the family to provide them with the continued daily care. This can often be an overwhelming experience and care-givers don't always receive the level of support and training to ease the burden this new role poses."

Joe Korner, director of communications at The Stroke Association, said: "Many stroke survivors and their families often feel completely abandoned when leaving hospital.

"The burden of care can be very great, and families will often want to care for a stroke survivor at home rather than opting for institutional care.

"The vast numbers of these carers do so with little or no support.

"It is vital that training in caring for stroke survivors is addressed and that carers receive the adequate knowledge, skills and support to cope with this often sudden change in circumstances."

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk