A number of studies have suggested that early intensive rehabilitation will promote recovery after stroke. If this is so then how far does current National Health Service provision succeed in delivering this? This observational study looks at how 15 stroke patients in a general hospital spent their days. Only 12.9% of the working day, or 62 minutes, were spent in therapy. Patients spent most of their working day, 38.6%, in 'recreation', and most of this time was spent on the ward. For much of this time they could have been available for therapy sessions or involved in self-directed exercise. The impact of a new regime aimed at increasing intensity of therapy for the hemiplegic arm is examined.