World Stroke Day Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department of Health and Social Care
Lillian Jones
Main Page: Lillian Jones (Labour - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)Department Debates - View all Lillian Jones's debates with the Department of Health and Social Care
(1 day, 21 hours ago)
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Lillian Jones (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I thank the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) for securing this important debate.
During the past year in Ayrshire, 852 people’s lives changed in an instant when they suffered a stroke, the outcome of which depended on the speed and quality of care that they received. Stroke is a medical emergency; “Every Minute Counts” is not just a slogan, but a theme of this year’s World Stroke Day. That is because for every minute that a stroke goes untreated, the brain loses nearly 2 million cells. Time is brain. Yet within NHS Ayrshire & Arran, just over 55% of stroke patients received the full stroke care bundle, a package of interventions proven to improve survival and recovery. That is way below the SNP Government’s own target of 80%.
The situation becomes even more critical during out-of-hours periods, which are weekdays from 5.30 pm to 8.30 the next morning, and the entire duration of weekends and public bank holidays, when GP practices are closed. Although thrombolysis, the clot-busting drug, must be administered within four and a half hours of symptom onset, access to the treatment can be delayed at night or on weekends.
The new thrombectomy service at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in Glasgow is a welcome step, but the programme is still in a phased roll-out. Shockingly, to date only 10 patients from Ayrshire and Arran have received a thrombectomy, despite its being one of the most effective treatments for large vessel occlusion strokes. Yes, it is good that 10 lives have potentially been saved, but it is concerning that many more people might have missed out due to limited access and timing. Many patients who suffer a stroke outside standard hours face a postcode lottery, in terms of not just geography, but time, with the result being delayed treatment, poorer outcomes and a higher risk of long-term disability.
I have a 23-year background in the NHS, so I know that we must do better. Stroke care must be prioritised. Our NHS across Scotland must have the vital investment to be able to deliver stroke services 24/7, ensuring rapid access to thrombectomy for my constituents in Kilmarnock and Loudoun, and indeed throughout Scotland. The SNP Government must acknowledge the urgency and recognise stroke as a medical emergency by adequately funding our NHS with the vital resource to be able to deliver stroke services 24/7 to people in Scotland, regardless of where they live.