Northern Ireland

Charity warns stroke recovery and services at serious risk amid Covid-19

Barry Macaulay, director of the Stroke Association in Northern Ireland
Barry Macaulay, director of the Stroke Association in Northern Ireland Barry Macaulay, director of the Stroke Association in Northern Ireland

A FIRST report into the impact of Covid-19 on stroke survivors in Northern Ireland has found that recovery and services are at "serious risk".

The Stroke Association has warned that care is "on the precipice of a national crisis and risks thousands of stroke survivors hard earned recoveries slipping backwards".

The charity claims that even before the pandemic, the "level of long-term stroke care, rehabilitation and mental health support available was already letting down stroke survivors and this has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis".

It is calling for the Department of Health and Stormont Executive to stand by commitments made before the pandemic and urgently progress with the planned reform of stroke services.

With almost 39,000 stroke survivors in Northern Ireland, the charity wants the roll-out of a "new, regional long-term support pathway", to meet the needs of people affected by the condition.

Its first report, post coronavirus, included a survey of 2,000 people, which reveals 59 per cent of stroke survivors in the north felt they have received less support from health and care services than usual. Half had therapy sessions cancelled or postponed.

While over a third of stroke survivors said they had therapy online or over the phone during lockdown - it is 13 per cent less than the number of stroke survivors who had therapy cancelled or postponed during the pandemic.

The charity said this suggests some stroke survivors may have gone without the necessary rehabilitation and support to help their recovery.

Sixty-nine per cent of stroke survivors reported feeling more anxious or depressed during the pandemic, while 40 per cent felt abandoned.

The survey revealed 93 per cent of carers said they are providing more care and support during lockdown and only 49 per cent were given enough information, guidance and support during the pandemic.

Barry Macaulay, director of Stroke Association NI, said the report findings "demonstrate the urgent need to reform stroke services in Northern Ireland".

"We were very encouraged that at the beginning of 2020, the NI Executive made a commitment to reconfigure hospital provision for stroke and make improvements in stroke care by the end of the year.

"They emphasised that doing so would deliver better patient outcomes, more stable services and more sustainable staffing in stroke care in Northern Ireland.

"However, we were very disappointed that the ’Rebuilding Health and Social Care Services Strategic Framework for Northern Ireland’, published in June 2020, stated that it was ‘unlikely that stroke reforms will progress by end of 2020.

"While we appreciate the challenges posed by the pandemic for the health and social care sector, the Covid-19 crisis should be seen as an opportunity to reform our health system.

"Change is long overdue and we must do better to improve outcomes for stroke survivors and their families, both now and in the future.

"Staying as we are is not an option and a lack of progress puts lives and recoveries at risk."