Press release -
Reshaping stroke services could reduce disability and save lives
Brenda Maguire from the charity said:
“Stroke is a devastating condition which can change lives in an instant. Stroke can happen to anyone, at any age and at any time. It’s the third biggest killer in Northern Ireland and the leading cause of adult disability.
“We are delighted that the Department of Health is moving forward and exploring options to modernise and improve stroke services. Reform is urgently needed and will save lives, reduce disabilities and help everyone affected by stroke to access the on-going support they need to rebuild their lives.
“There is clear evidence that reshaping stroke services works – creating larger Hyper Acute Stroke Units (HASUs) with the equipment and experts to treat stroke patients, all day, every day as well as creating more sustainable services. We believe everyone affected by stroke should get the best treatment and care possible. Reorganising stroke services will help achieve that.
“We will be carefully reviewing the proposals and working with people affected by stroke, carers and experts in the coming weeks to develop our response. We firmly believe this is an exciting opportunity to create a world class stroke service for Northern Ireland. We would encourage everyone to take the opportunity to have their say during this important process”.
The Department of Health launched the consultation on Tuesday 26th March 2019. Information on the consultation can be found here https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/reshaping-stroke-care
You can find more information on stroke and the Stroke Association’s position on reconfiguration of stroke services here
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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 more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; that is around one stroke every five minutes. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.
