Major threat for stroke patients as winter bugs poised to cripple Britain

A stroke support charity told the Daily Express of their fears that lives will be lost or damaged forever this winter if the NHS suffers its expected seasonal chaos from Covid , infections and flu. Fresh NHS England data shows that November’s average response time for category 2 ambulance calls, which includes stroke, was 42 minutes and 26 seconds - the longest so far in 2024. Meanwhile over the last five years (2018/19 – 2023/24), ambulance response times between November and February have been on average 17.

1 per cent longer than between May and August. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the UK and a speedy treatment on a specialist ward is crucial as 1.9 million brain cells die every minute a stroke's left untreated - increasing the risk of serious long-term disability and death.



Now leading charity The Stroke Association have told the Daily Express that they fear the extra pressure the NHS suffers in the winter months could prevent even more people from getting lifesaving treatments - like thrombectomy and thrombolysis - making a difference between a survivor leaving hospital walking, in a wheelchair or even leaving alive. Juliet Bouverie OBE, Chief Executive at the Stroke Association, told the Daily Express: "Far too many stroke patients are left with no option but to sit and watch the time tick by as they wait for life-saving treatment. "The Stroke Association supports thousands of stroke survivors who are often left unable to walk, talk or even see, which could have been avoided if the right treatments were available at the right time.

"We recognise that ambulance services and the whole NHS workforce are under intense pressure during the winter months, and we welcome their hard work and dedication. "Despite their best efforts, long waits have sadly become a hallmark of emergency care. The Government must urgently get a grip on this crisis now with additional funding for stroke care to speed up time from suspected stroke to treatment.

"This also needs to be a fundamental part of the 10 Year Health Plan, to make the NHS fit for the future and help the stroke patients who have waited long enough already." In November we told how thousands of stroke patients are missing out on lifechanging treatment as specialist, in-hospital care falls - while waiting times to get on a stroke ward soars. A year ago we launched our 'Let Stroke Patients Thrive' campaign, for better aftercare and access to miracle procedure thrombectomy to speedily remove clots so patients can return home that same day.

But the Stroke Association claim despite the dedication of an overstretched workforce, the current NHS stroke care system still fails the 90,000 new survivors every year. Analysis of 2023-24 data by King’s College London's Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) reveals rehab and thrombectomy are still being delivered erratically - with some acute stroke care basics worse than 10 years ago. The number of stroke patients directly admitted to a specialist unit within four hours of arrival at hospital was 46.

7 per cent in 2023/24, but 54.9 per cent in 2019/20 and 58 per cent in 2013/14 - this dramatically increases the risk of survivors suffering long-term poor health and disabilities. Hailed as a "miracle" medical procedure when first discovered two decades ago, a thrombectomy sees a stent passed up an artery or vein to drag out the blood clot causing the stroke.

It is thought up to 10 per cent of UK stroke patients may be eligible for thrombectomy every year, more than 9,000 people - but sporadic availability means only 3.9 per cent accessed one last year. Since last year the Daily Express has been calling for a full, 24/7 thrombectomy access in the UK - after experts branded it currently "a postcode lottery".

With NHS England’s target at 10 per cent by 2027/28, the 3.9 per cent is way behind and there are continued regional disparities. Similarly, thrombolysis, a clot-busting drug, is underused.

Around 20 per cent of stroke patients are eligible for the treatment but only an average of 11.6 per cent patients received the treatment in 2023/24 against the NHS England target of 20 per cent by 2025 to achieve the best performance in Europe. Meanwhile the recent SSNAP data revealed the number of patients spending over 90 per cent of their hospital stay on a specialist stroke unit has decreased in the last five years from 83.

2 per cent in 2019/20 to 75.9 per cent in 2023/24 - a drop of over 4,400 patients. This specialist support is key to helping reduce mortality within the first 30 days and optimising stroke recovery.

Now the Stroke Association is calling for: 1 - The Secretary of State Wes Streeting to put in place a winter plan and emergency funding to support our ambulance, urgent and emergency care services over the coming months. 2 - The Government and the NHS continue to highlight thrombectomy as a key priority that regional NHS boards should prioritise in their 2025/26 planning. 3 - The Government’s 10 Year Health Plan to put in place a clear, actionable road map for transforming stroke care so that every stroke patient gets the high quality, timely care and treatment they need as soon as they call 999.

And 4 - The Government and NHS leaders to recruit and retain staff across stroke care including in ambulance services, diagnostics, specialist stroke services to widen access to stroke units and stroke treatments to support their recovery. Father-of-five Baz Singh, 52, from Solihull, West Midlands, had a stroke last November and knew he was, as did his nineteen-year-old son, by recognising the signs from the FAST test - Face (does it droop?), Arms (can they raise them?), Speech (is it slurred?) and Time (dial 999 if you see these warning signs). When Baz’s son called 999 and relayed his dad’s symptoms, the call handler said it would take five to six hours for an ambulance to arrive.

The family decided to make their own way to A&E at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham where Baz’s stroke was confirmed. However, he was told there was a 26 hour wait for the stroke unit. As a result, Baz was unable to receive timely specialist care.

He now lives with significant disabilities including reduced mobility, poor mental health and problems with his vision resulting in a poor quality of life. Baz said: "I am angry and feel let down by the system. I am sure if I’d received stroke treatment more quickly, my quality of life would be so much better.

"I hate relying on my kids to help with my personal care and even simple things like tying my shoelaces. It really feels so unfair not just for me, but for them. I don’t want anyone who has had a stroke to live with the disabilities that I do.

" NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis recently told the Daily Express: "NHS staff are working hard to see and treat a huge rise in the number of people being admitted for strokes. "And while there is more to do, we have rolled out AI software to process brain scans faster and are increasing the number of patients receiving treatments like thrombectomy, thrombolysis and stroke rehabilitation. "We are also taking vital action to prevent strokes, with over a million blood pressure checks delivered in community pharmacies in the last year, and the rollout of new treatments for atrial fibrillation, which have benefitted hundreds of thousands of people at high-risk of stroke.

"Any sign of a stroke is always an emergency, so it is vital that people call 999 immediately if they or someone else experiences a single symptom, whether it’s face or arm weakness or speech problems." * Anyone affected by stroke can visit stroke.org.

uk or call our dedicated Stroke Support Helpline on 0303 3033 100 for information, guidance or a chat when times are tough..