Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

World Stroke Day

23 November 2023 · 5 other contributors · 10,885 words

Opened by Bob Neill Con Bromley and Chislehurst

Responding minister: Andrew Stephenson

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Bob Neill raised concerns about world stroke day in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Stroke occurs every five minutes in the UK, affecting over 100,000 people annually.
  • Two-thirds of stroke survivors leave hospital with disabilities, and stroke is a leading cause of death.
  • The economic cost of stroke in the UK is estimated at 26 billion per year, predicted to rise to 75 billion by 2035.

Key requests to Government

I ask the Minister to commit to removing the postcode lottery for stroke treatment and improving patient outcomes through investment in treatments like mechanical thrombectomy. I also urge him to address workforce shortages, particularly in clinical radiology consultants, and ensure adequate provision of community stroke services to improve care for survivors.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Bob Neill Con Bromley and Chislehurst

I am concerned about the lack of recognition for stroke symptoms, despite improvements in awareness. In the UK, a stroke occurs every five minutes, with over 100,000 people affected annually. Two-thirds of survivors leave hospital with disabilities, and it is also a leading cause of death. The cost to the economy is estimated at £26 billion per year, predicted to rise to £75 billion by 2035. There are significant variations in access to mechanical thrombectomy across the country, ranging from 7.8% in London to 0.3% in the east of England.

Other contributors (5)
  • Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton

    He thanked colleagues for their contributions, highlighted the impact of strokes, noting that one stroke occurs every five minutes in the UK. He stressed the economic burden of strokes, estimating it will cost £75 billion annually by 2035, up from £26 billion in 2015. Gwynne also addressed workforce shortages and unequal access to thrombectomy treatment across regions, advocating for better coordination among care services.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon praised the contributions of previous speakers and highlighted the impact of strokes on individuals and families. He discussed the 'Neurorehabilitation: State of the Nation' report, which outlines the state of UK stroke rehabilitation services and recommends levelling up neurorehabilitation service infrastructure across the country to address post-pandemic recovery needs. Shannon noted that Northern Ireland has one of the highest incidences and mortality rates for strokes in the UK, with more than 40,000 survivors. He emphasised the importance of immediate access to care and advocated for better continuity of care after discharge.

  • Marion Fellows SNP Motherwell and Wishaw

    Discussed the Scottish Government's Stroke Improvement Plan 2023, highlighting efforts to reduce strokes by minimising health inequalities. Mentioned a £500 million investment in Glasgow through the city region deal and noted that strokes remain a leading cause of death in Scotland despite declining deaths due to increased awareness.

  • Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

    The hon. Member is making a powerful speech, and I appreciate his passion. He spoke of awareness, understanding and education about strokes. We need much more work on that; many people are unaware of stroke symptoms. They should be aware of what might be happening to a family member or friend before their very eyes.

  • Rachael Maskell Lab Co-op York Central

    The Stroke Association provides an excellent briefing with updates from the all-party parliamentary group on stroke. The hon. Member has raised important points about prevention, treatment and aftercare. The MP discussed the need for a renewed focus on stroke prevention, early intervention, and timely diagnosis. She highlighted that 80% of strokes are preventable with controlled risk factors such as blood pressure and atrial fibrillation. The MP also pointed out that younger people under retirement age account for one in four cases. She suggested making health checks more accessible to monitor potential risks earlier. Moreover, she advocated for faster ambulance response by categorising stroke calls as category 1 rather than the current category 2. Additionally, she raised concerns about the limited access to life-saving treatments like thrombectomy and the need for a specialist workforce in interventional neuroradiology. The MP also mentioned the importance of ensuring that patients receive appropriate care after discharge from hospital. My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. When it comes to social care, people are often untrained and as a result could cause more harm than good if they do not know how to care for a patient who has had a stroke. Will he ensure that Labour discusses how it will train our care workforce to have the right skills to deliver ongoing care?

Government Response

Andrew Stephenson

The Minister thanked contributors for their input and highlighted the Government's efforts to improve stroke care through digital NHS health checks, community pharmacy services expansion, integrated stroke delivery networks, virtual consultations, thrombectomy availability, AI technology in brain scanning, staff training, and major conditions strategy implementation. The Government aims to prevent strokes by rolling out a new digital NHS health check programme with £17 million investment for one million extra checks over four years. They are also investing up to £645 million to expand community pharmacy services, including blood pressure services that could prevent over 1,350 cardiovascular events in the first year. Additionally, they established 20 integrated stroke delivery networks and trialled virtual consultation projects between paramedics and stroke teams. The Minister noted progress on thrombectomy rate increase and AI brain-scanning technology installation in acute stroke-care providers. They acknowledged the need for addressing staff shortages and increasing capacity for rehabilitation services to improve patient care.

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