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News

Home » About Us » News

Health Committee Hears Stroke Concerns

Friday 11 April 2008

Stroke charities have told the Assembly’s Health Committee that there must be no “postcode lottery” when a new strategy for treating the condition is put in place.
The Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, is currently assessing the results of a public consultation on the issue, and the Committee heard from two charities as MLAs prepare to respond to the Minister’s proposals.

Stroke charities have told the Assembly's Health Committee that there must be no "postcode lottery" when a new strategy for treating the condition is put in place.
The Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, is currently assessing the results of a public consultation on the issue, and the Committee heard from two charities as MLAs prepare to respond to the Minister's proposals.

Representatives of NI Chest, Heart and Stroke and Speechmatters - Part of the Stroke Association told the committee's members at a meeting in Lisburn that future stroke care must be fair and equitable right across Northern Ireland.

"If that is to happen," says Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of NI Chest, Heart and Stroke, "it raises the question of what will happen in Coleraine and Downpatrick, which are currently the only two areas without a dedicated stroke unit."

Stroke units, in which doctors, physiotherapists and other health professionals work together as a team, have been shown to save lives and improve a patient's chances of a good recovery.

The charities also stressed the need for:

• Stroke to be treated as a medical emergency in the same way as heart attack
• More health professionals to be trained in dealing with the effects of the condition, including aphasia, or loss of speech
• Better availability of clot-busting drugs where appropriate
• Improved psychological and emotional support for patients and families
• A public information campaign to alert people to the risks and symptoms of stroke.

Said Mr Dougal: "Stroke survivors and their families will be watching closely to ensure that their needs will be met. We are grateful for the opportunity to pass on their concerns to the Health Committee. For too long, stroke has been treated as a Cinderella illness but finally we have the opportunity, with the help of locally-elected politicians, to put things right."

Ends