Hansard

I thank my colleague Alexander Stewart for bringing this incredibly important debate to the chamber, and I thank Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland for its helpful briefing and for all the good work that it does in keeping the dangers of stroke at the forefront of our thinking.

Stroke is a many-headed monster that attacks in so many different ways that it is almost impossible to prepare for. When it hits, it affects everyone differently. I will give three examples of how people have been affected by stroke and outline their different roads to recovery.

My partner Elaine had a stroke five years ago. You would never know it to look at her, except sometimes when she walks for too long, but she assures me that the long-term damage is still with her. She forgets things regularly and can be a bit unsteady at times, and we are still dealing with some of the other long-term issues. The good thing—if that is the right way to put it—is that she was young and fit enough to be able to get where she is today.

My mother had a stroke in February this year. She is older, and it is clear that recovery can be much more difficult for older people. In addition, we are living through Covid-19 and, despite the care and attention that my mother gets, she lacks some of the on-going physical and emotional support responses that may otherwise have helped her to recover more speedily.

The last example is a friend of mine named Paul. He had a stroke a month ago, with all the usual recognisable symptoms such as paralysis down the left side and slurring. Paul is a writer and blogger, and he is also left-handed—within the first week of his hospitalisation, he started typing slowly with his right hand. He did all the physiotherapy that was asked of him, and he told me just this afternoon that he expects to get home on Friday, which is good news.

In all three cases, the early impact was one of fear: that they would not walk or talk properly again, and that life as they knew it was over. However, as the examples show, that is not always the case. All strokes have a different impact and the pace of improvement is different. Nonetheless, in experiencing that fear, those three people all have something in common.

Sadly, their experiences are not unique. Countless families have had their world turned upside down. The effect of stroke can be life changing, whether for the person who experiences the stroke or for family and friends, who often undertake unpaid caring duties.

In Scotland, stroke remains a leading cause of disability and is the third biggest killer. In 2018, in more than 3,800 deaths in Scotland, cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, was the underlying cause. However, there is some cause for tentative optimism. Over the past 10 years, the number of people dying from stroke in Scotland has decreased by more than 35 per cent. According to the Stroke Association, there are almost 120,000 stroke survivors living in Scotland. As I have described, however, surviving stroke is one thing, but being able to live with the resulting health implications is another. All survivors deserve the best possible chance of living without disability or dependence after stroke.

That is why I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment, in its programme for government, to

“Introduce a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service in Scotland”.

As Alexander Stewart said, thrombectomy delivers significant benefits for some patients who experience sudden onset of stroke, with significantly improved outcomes and a reduced level of disability. The new service, once it is established, will ensure that those who experience severe stroke receive the best possible care, thereby reducing their risk of long-term disability. Figures cited by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland show that at least 600 people in Scotland per year would benefit from a thrombectomy. I am delighted that the Queen Elizabeth university hospital campus in Glasgow will provide a hub service for the west of Scotland by 2023.

Someone has a stroke every five minutes in the UK—it can happen to anyone of any age at any time. All members who are participating in the debate will share a desire to reduce further the number of deaths from stroke and improve treatment and care. At a time when Covid is understandably grabbing most of our attention, it is vital that we keep stroke on the agenda, and I thank Alexander Stewart again for affording us the opportunity to do so today.