Charities Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and the Stroke Association have come together to call for the expansion of thrombectomy services to reduce health inequalities for stroke survivors across Scotland.
Thrombectomy is a clot removal treatment that can vastly improve outcomes for eligible stroke survivors when administered within the recommended timeframe.
People who have an ischaemic stroke and receive a thrombectomy are three times more likely to be able to lead an independent life.
However, due to the lack of a national thrombectomy service, nearly 1,000 Scots who would have been eligible missed out on the chance of receiving this treatment last year, resulting in poorer recovery outcomes. In fact, only 153 people in Scotland received the treatment in 2023.
The organisations are calling on the Scottish Government to invest some of the additional £1billion allocated to the block grant Westminster to ensure that every stroke patient in Scotland eligible for thrombectomy can have it, regardless of where they live or what day of the week or time of day they have their stroke.
Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “We know that the Scottish Government understands that stroke care is a priority, but the lack of progress in rolling out a national thrombectomy service is having a devastating effect on the lives of those missing out.
“To be most effective, thrombectomy should be carried out in a matter of hours from the onset of stroke. People are experiencing stroke at all hours of the day or night, weekday or weekend, so we would expect this treatment to be readily available across the country.
"However, at present access to thrombectomy varies widely from region to region, with NHS Lothian currently the only health board in Scotland that offers thrombectomy treatment at the weekend.
“It is unacceptable that Scotland should be lagging so far behind other countries in the delivery of this essential treatment.
"Thrombectomy is now no longer a cutting-edge procedure. It is a vital part of stroke treatment worldwide and yet Scotland’s rates are lower than anywhere in England, and despite the current war in Ukraine, the country still manages to do proportionally more thrombectomies per year than Scotland.”
John Watson, associate director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, added: “Thrombectomy saves brains, lives and money. It can change the course of recovery from stroke in an instant and is one of the most effective medical interventions ever developed.
“We understand the financial pressure the government is under, but it’s short-sighted to mire a National Thrombectomy Service in arguments about pressures on the NHS – financial or otherwise.
"We believe improving stroke care is part of the solution to the current NHS crisis. If you get stroke care right, you get many other things right too.
“Thrombectomy is a powerful intervention that can reduce the risk of severe disability, and relieve pressure on the overstretched health and care system.”
LIVED EXPERIENCE – AGNES-ANN FROUDE
Agnes-Ann Froude, 73, lives in Kinghorn, Fife. In January 2024, Agnes-Ann had a stroke and underwent a thrombectomy at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital. The procedure, which removes the blood clot causing the stroke, was a success, and Agnes-Ann was discharged from hospital within a couple of days.
There was no warning for Agnes-Ann Froude when stroke hit. One minute, she was brushing her hair as she got ready. The next, she was on the floor.
What happened next for Agnes-Ann meant the world of difference to her health. Doctors performed a thrombectomy within hours of her falling ill.
Agnes-Ann said: “It’s an essential service and an amazing procedure. If it hadn’t been for the thrombectomy then I would have been in hospital for a considerable amount of time, and had to go through lengthy rehab, costing the NHS a lot of money.
“Instead, I had the thrombectomy at Ninewells in Dundee and within a couple of days I was back home in Kinghorn. I was initially, very wobbly and quite shaken but apart from that I didn't require any rehab and I was soon able to get back to life as before.”
Agnes-Ann added: “I was extremely lucky that I met all the criteria for a thrombectomy and so was able to have the procedure and I was close enough to Dundee where the procedure is carried out to meet the time threshold elapsing between onset and treatment.
“A nurse told me that it was only available between 8.00am and 3.00pm Monday to Friday and if it was outwith that time, the outcome would be very different.
“It's definitely a lottery. I'm extremely fortunate that I was able to have the procedure. I'd never heard of a thrombectomy before I had one and it saved me from a significant loss of both function and independence. I’m grateful for the wonderful care and professionalism of the NHS staff from start to finish.
“The more hospitals that offer thrombectomy, the more patients will be able to benefit and the long-term cost of hospital care and rehabilitation will be drastically reduced.”
To help improve access to thrombectomy in Scotland, contact your local MSP before December 5. You can find all the relevant details to do that by visiting: Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) | Scottish Parliament Website.
A Scottish Government Spokesperson said: “Together with NHS Boards we are working to deliver a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service for everyone who needs it in Scotland.
“Work is ongoing to establish the most effective means of further expanding access to thrombectomy, to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from this treatment.
“The delivery of a national thrombectomy service has, to date, received over £38million of investment.”