Local MSP, Jackson Carlaw is supporting a key health campaign from the Stroke Association to “make stroke a priority in Scotland.”
Across Scotland, stroke is one of the country’s biggest killers and it is the principal cause of adult disability.
Data for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – the health board region for Mr Carlaw’s Eastwood constituency – confirms that in 2023, there were 2,526 strokes and roughly 1,500 individuals are now living with a disability after suffering from this medical emergency.
Around 1,900 of the individuals who experienced a stroke are at significant risk of developing mental health issues.
In total, there are approximately 26,000 stroke survivors in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
The Stroke Association is campaigning for a 24/7 national thrombectomy service in Scotland so that patients who are eligible for the surgery can receive it.
Thrombectomy significantly reduces the possibility of the illness leaving a patient with disabilities and can save the life of a person who has experienced a stroke.
It is estimated that 1,200 stroke patients in Scotland meet the eligibility criteria to undergo a thrombectomy but in 2022, just over 100 individuals received it.
The Stroke Association has set out that thrombectomy is 100 percent cost effective and it saves the NHS a sum of £47,000 per patient.
Glasgow is home to one of three thrombectomy hubs in Scotland but it has restricted opening hours.
The Stroke Association is the nation’s main stroke-specific charitable organisation.
The charity offers lifelong support to people who have experienced a stroke and their family members.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Eastwood, Jackson Carlaw said:
“Thousands of people who are resident in Greater Glasgow and Clyde experience a stroke each year and this demonstrates the need for thrombectomy to become much more accessible to patients.
“The Stroke Association continues to take forward vital work to highlight the importance of stroke becoming a priority and to improve health outcomes for people who experience this medical emergency.
“I am delighted to support the campaigning efforts of the charity and it is clear that thrombectomy has to become available to all people in Scotland who need it.”
