Stroke survivors and campaigners have handed over a Stroke Association NI petition calling on the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to make the stroke treatment thrombectomy available 24/7 in Northern Ireland.
The charity says it is vital that it is available for everyone who needs it no matter when they have their stroke.
The revolutionary procedure – where clots are plucked from the brain – can save patients from severe disability or death and is most effective within six hours.
But currently it is only available between 8am and 6pm, so anyone admitted outside these hours would have to wait until the following morning.
Every minute a stroke is left untreated 1.9 million brain cells die, so the delay could have devastating consequences.
Alasdair O’Hara, Northern Ireland Director at the Stroke Association, said: “Thrombectomy is an extremely cost-effective procedure that leads to huge cost savings due to a significant reduction in disability and long-term costs to healthcare systems. So clearly it is an investment worth making.
“We are calling on the Health Minister to honour the Government’s commitment to deliver 24/7 thrombectomy for everyone who needs it.
“More than 3,500 people have signed this petition because they know thrombectomy saves brains, saves money and saves lives.”
Clodagh Dunlop, from Magherafelt in Co. Londonderry, was one of the stroke survivors who handed over the petition.
She had a brain stem stroke which initially left her with locked-in syndrome in April 2015.
It left her completely paralysed and she was only able to communicate by using her eyes.
She received the stroke treatment thrombectomy, which she says saved her life.
Dunlop said: “The team came in out of hours on a holiday to perform my thrombectomy.
“If they hadn’t, I would be dead. The team gave me life!
“Today is a hugely important day and it gives me optimism for the future.”
Paula Bradshaw MLA, Chair of the All-Party Group on Stroke, added: “The Department of Health previously committed to delivering a 24/7 service for Northern Ireland by the end of 2024, but it now says that that is unlikely to happen.
“This is unacceptable and will lead to more serious disabilities and, unfortunately, death in some cases.
“Now is the time to make thrombectomy treatment for stroke patients a priority. Failing to do so will have devastating consequences for so many lives.”
