Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer has said new improvements in health care for stroke patients will save lives. 



Stroke is one of Northern Ireland's biggest killers, and advancements in treatment and prevention could save thousands of lives per year and millions of pounds for the health service.

Dr Michael McBride, speaking at a conference hosted by the NI Chest Heart and Stroke Association in Belfast, detailed plans for improving Stroke Services, which are currently out for consultation.

Dr McBride said: "Around 4,000 people suffer a stroke each year in Northern Ireland. 1,300 of these people will die in the first month following stroke. And a further 1,300 will suffer long term disability, with major impact on their own lives and on the lives of their families and carers."

"Much work involving many agencies has been done in recent years to develop a regional stroke strategy and much more requires to be done."

Dr McBride outlined major the challenges ahead. He said: "
But there are things that we also as individuals can do. Although stroke is not exclusively a disease of older people, the risk increases with age. It is caused by a range of risk factors, some of which relate to existing health problems.

"The percentage of the population who smoke, are overweight, drink to excess and don’t take recommended levels of exercise are still too high." He added: "Renewed public awareness, additional funding, specialist and community services and medical support will all help us to address these issues."

The draft stroke strategy document 'Improving Stroke Services in Northern Ireland' aims to reduce the occurrence of stroke, raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of stroke, ensure stroke is treated as an emergency and there is equitable access to evidence based care, for example stroke unit care. It also aims to provide person-centred multi-disciplinary, multi-agency care and with more effective support for carers of stroke survivors.

(DW/JM)