Stroke Association statement following the death of Gill Pharoah

Bridget Birgin, Director of UK Life After Stroke Services at the Stroke Association said “There are too many powerful myths about stroke; that it only affects older people or that people can’t recover. These myths stop people from taking action to prevent stroke and supporting stroke survivors to make the best recovery they can.

“Advances in medical research have helped to halve the numbers of people dying of stroke over the last 40 years, while 50,000 people who have a stroke every year are able to make a full recovery thanks to new treatments and approaches to care. High profile advertising campaigns such as FAST are also making more people aware that stroke is a medical emergency. Treatments such as thrombolysis, which uses a clot-busting drug to restore the flow of blood in the brain and improvements in rehabilitation have helped to limit the long term effects caused by stroke.

“We can’t deny that stroke changes lives, but there is life after stroke. The Stroke Association works with Clinical Commisioning Groups (CCGs) and local authorities to ensure that survivors have access to stroke support services in their local communities. We believe that every step matters on the road to recovery, which is why we support people from hospital as they return home.

“The Stroke Association is a charity that is campaigning to improve stroke care and funding research to come up with new treatments and ways of preventing stroke.”