World Stroke Day

Terry Jermy Excerpts

Tuesday 28th October 2025 Westminster Hall

[Terry Jermy (South West Norfolk) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Vaz. I thank the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson).

As it is for a number of speakers today, this debate is deeply personal to me. My dad had a severe stroke with no warning in 2013. He was just 55 years old. He lived with the aftermath of that stroke for 10 further years. In December 2022, he was hit by both pneumonia and covid and was placed in a medically induced coma, during which time he had a further stroke from which he never recovered. He died in January 2023, aged just 65.

That experience was one of the main reasons I decided to stand for Parliament. As it happens, stroke is a major issue in my constituency, where there are currently 2,868 stroke survivors. Of the 543 English constituencies, we rank 469th. Being disabled in a rural community such as mine comes with significant additional challenges. Many disabled people are unable to drive because of their disability. With inadequate public transport options, getting to basic medical appointments—or simply going on shopping trips—becomes either really difficult or really expensive. Loneliness and isolation are particular concerns and often worsen underlying mental health challenges.

In Norfolk, my constituents have to contend with a hospital that ranked 134th out of 134 in a recent NHS league table, making it the worst in the country; the worst ambulance service in the country, with the East of England ambulance service placing 10th out 10; and the Norfolk and Suffolk mental health trust, which ranks 57th out of 61, making it almost the worst in the country. The cumulative impact of so many failing health services cannot be overstated. The ICB funds the Stroke Association to provide a “life after stroke” service in west Norfolk. I was very concerned to hear recently that the service may have come to an end in September. I wrote to the ICB to outline my concerns, and I am pleased that the service has been temporarily re-funded until March 2026, but there is no certainty after that point. I very much hope that that important service can be continued, given the clear need in the west of our county.

The Government’s 10-year health plan provides a great opportunity to improve our whole national health service. As we do so, I hope that stroke prevention and services for people who have experienced stroke or cardiovascular disease more generally will be given the support they need. I welcome the ICB’s wider review of stroke services in Norfolk, which is backed by £3 million of growth funding. That includes projects to find and treat people at increased risk of stroke, such as those with undiagnosed high blood pressure. That shift from reactive care to prevention is a key Government priority, and I hope that it will result in fewer families going through what my family has gone through with my late father’s stroke.