Press release -
Oxfordshire residents speak out about stroke care in the county
The Stroke Association in Oxfordshire invited local stroke survivors and their families to a feedback event on Wednesday 2 March to air their concerns about the need for stroke services in the county.
Following the decision from Oxfordshire County Council to cut £16,595 from the Stroke Association’s Communication Support Service, a group of stroke survivors met with the Stroke Association at Didcot Civic Hall.
Andrew and Gillian Long from Aston went along to the event with their daughter Catherine, 29, who had a devastating stroke last year.
Catherine, who was working as a gardener at Christ Church, was on a working holiday with friends in South Africa when she had a stroke. Whilst in the bush, Catherine’s speech became slurred and she lost feeling in the right side of her body. Catherine’s friends managed to get her on a pick-up truck, which was quickly driven to hospital.
Catherine spent two weeks in hospital in South Africa before being flown back to Oxfordshire for further treatment. She now has aphasia, a communication impairment which has affected her speech, and weakness in the right side of her body.
Catherine’s father, Andrew, said: “When Catherine was discharged from hospital we all felt completely out of our depth. There were so many decisions to take, it was overwhelming. However help came from the Stroke Association and their Communication Support Coordinator.
The Stroke Association helped us and is continuing to help us through this difficult time in our lives. The charity offers a lifeline for stroke survivors in Oxfordshire.
“It was really important to us to attend the feedback session and explain just how vital the Stroke Association’s support has been, not only for Catherine, but for the family too.”
Esme Mutter, Regional Head of Operations for South Central England at the Stroke Association, said: “We were devastated to learn that Oxfordshire County Council decided to cut £16,595 from the Stroke Association’s Communication Support Service. This local service has been vitally important to stroke survivors living with communication difficulties across the county.
“The feedback session was a much-needed opportunity to hear concerns from local residents like Andrew, Gillian and Catherine, about the future of services in Oxfordshire.
“We are currently in talks with the council and the Clinical Commissioning Group about funding for the provision of services for stroke survivors in Oxfordshire.”
If you’d like more information on how the cut affects you, or would like to support the Stroke Association, please contact Esme Mutter on 02380 720426.
For more information about stroke visit www.stroke.org.uk or call the Helpline on 0303 303 3100.
Topics
A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.
Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk
