STROKE victims in Gwent are facing “unacceptably long” delays in emergency vehicles reaching them quickly, a politician has warned.
Data from StatsWales revealed a significant increase in the waiting times for the ‘amber’ category in Wales, with over two thirds (67.3%) of patients waiting more than an hour for an ambulance to arrive in April of this year.
Grange Hospital also received an overall grading of ‘D’, as well as ranking admission on to the site’s stroke units as an ‘E’. These are the grades assessed by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), and hospitals are scored on grades A to E for each stroke unit in Wales.
Peter Fox, the Member of the Senedd for the Monmouth constituency, has called for robust action and vowed to swiftly raise the “deeply troubling” situation with the Welsh Government.
Mr Fox said:
“I am seriously concerned to learn that stroke patients are currently subjected to lengthy delays to reach the Grange Hospital, as well as other hospitals across Wales.
“We all know from the informative TV advert FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) that speed is of the essence when someone is suffering a stroke, but delays in accessing hospitals will severely impact that particular person’s chances of recovery, and that’s unacceptable.
“Although it’s no reflection on the superb work of our Welsh Ambulance and NHS personnel; nonetheless, stroke victims deserve better than the status quo. Therefore, I will raise this data with the Welsh Government and urge Ministers to find a solution swiftly.”
Matt O’Grady, Policy & Influencing Lead for Wales at the Stroke Association, added:
“Treatment for stroke is time sensitive, so getting the best treatment in the quickest time is key to survival. A stroke is a clot or a bleed in the brain and every minute this isn’t treated, 1.9 million brain cells die.
It’s vital that stroke patients Act FAST and call 999 as soon as they see the signs of stroke, are sent ambulances rapidly and are quickly admitted, so they can receive time-sensitive life-saving treatments. If you spot the signs of a stroke in you or someone else, it’s vital to call 999 straight away. This lines up getting scanned and seen by a stroke specialist as soon as possible when you arrive at hospital giving you or a loved one the best chance of survival and recovery.”
“The pressure on our health services is having a real impact on all those affected by stroke in Wales. We need to see action taken by Welsh Government, backed by the publication of the new national plan for stroke, to improve waiting times so everyone is able to access vital stroke treatment as quickly as possible.”
ENDS/
Notes to editors
These are the grades assessed by the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, and are scored on grades A to E for each stroke unit in Wales. More information on the audit can be found here.
Grange University Hospital
Overall grade
Scanning
Admission to stroke units
Thrombolysis (clot busting drugs)
Occupational therapy
Physiotherapy
Speech and language therapy
D
A
E
D
B
B
D
As of April 2022, over two thirds of ambulances for amber category patients are taking an hour or longer to arrive. Data on amber category ambulance response times by health board can be accessed here. Figures are published monthly.
