Patients ‘denied miracle stroke treatment’

Thousands of stroke patients who could benefit from a "miracle treatment" are being denied access to it, a charity has warned.

TheStrokeAssociationsaid more than 47,000 patients will miss out on the treatment over the next seven years unless NHS England and the Government take immediate action.

Mechanicalthrombectomy involvesremovinglargestrokecausing blood clots from the brain via a catheter inserted into the patient's groin.

The procedure can cut hospital stays by several months and some patients have been able to leave hospital the next day, rather than spending monthsinrehabilitationunits.

TheStrokeAssociationsays there is an urgent need to have a 24/7 thrombectomy service so that all patients can benefit and it claims this would save £73m a year in reduced costs of looking after people with stroke in the long term.

Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: "Thrombectomy is a miracle treatment that pulls patients back from near-death andalleviatestheworsteffects of stroke.

"It's shocking that so many patients are missing out and the lack of understanding from Government, the NHS and local health leaders about the brain-saving potential of thrombectomy is putting lives at risk.”

An NHS spokeswoman said:"Despitetheimpactofthe pandemic, NHS teams across the country have continued to improvestrokepreventionand treatment services - including access to thrombectomy.

"By bringing services togetherthroughnewstrokenetworks,wearesupportinglocal clinicianstodeliver24/7access tothrombectomy,clot-busting drugsandotherlife-savingspecialist stroke services in every part of the country."