Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to address (a) regional differences in out-of-hours provision of and (b) other regional differences in access to thrombectomy services for stroke patients.

NHS England’s National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service aim to reduce inequalities by standardising care, enhancing access to acute treatments, and providing comprehensive community rehabilitation.

The National Health Service is also working to increase the delivery of 24/7 thrombectomy and increase thrombolysis and thrombectomy rates as a key intervention to support improved patient outcomes.