Hansard

I am not closed to the campaign by the Bundy family and others, or to the points that have been raised by Alexander Stewart, Stephen Kerr and others. I will come back to that.

Sandesh Gulhane, who knows about the issue from his work in a clinical setting, was right about quick action making a huge difference, which is why I will turn to our actions shortly.

I am grateful to Stephen Kerr for giving voice to the Bundy family and to James Bundy, who is in the public gallery. I heard that voice clearly in the meeting that I attended, which was hosted by Alexander Stewart. The passion, compassion and determination of the family, which I recognised in a very emotional speech that Stephen Kerr gave, give us all pause for thought.

I turn to the actions that we are seeking to take as a result of some of the interventions that have come from the Bundy family. I met the Bundy family in April, along with Alexander Stewart and the Scottish Government’s specialty adviser for stroke. I was struck and moved by the family’s determination to ensure that no one else has to go through what they have experienced. Again, I offer them my very deepest condolences for their loss. It is clear from Stephen Kerr’s words, and the reflections that he shared with me in that meeting, how loved Mr Bundy was and how keenly his loss is still felt—I recognise that very much. For anyone who has lost close family members in sudden and tragic circumstances, that loss is felt even more keenly.

We all want people who may be having a stroke to be identified more quickly so that they can get the care that they need. That includes ensuring that healthcare staff are aware of less common stroke symptoms, and I will say more about what we are doing in that regard. We do not plan to replace FAST with BE FAST at this time. It is important that I clearly explain why, not least because of the powerful contributions from Alexander Stewart, Roz McCall, Stephen Kerr and others.

Our approach to stroke recognition must always be informed by the best clinical advice, and the clinical advice in this instance is that more evidence is needed before an expert decision can be made on stroke symptoms that are not currently included in FAST. That view is shared by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the Stroke Association. Importantly, that stance is aligned with the rest of the nations in the United Kingdom.

We do not plan to run trials of BE FAST in NHS boards. That is a decision for each board, but I keep that situation under review. I have asked the national advisory committee for stroke to keep the emerging evidence on stroke awareness screening under review and advise the Scottish Government if new evidence suggests that changes may be needed.

I turn to the action that we are taking now, which came directly after the meeting that I had with the Bundy family. After that meeting, I asked the specialty adviser for stroke to review the stroke awareness training for clinical staff, a point that was raised by Sandesh Gulhane and Evelyn Tweed. As a result, we are funding new training to help staff recognise stroke symptoms, which will be delivered by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. That includes recognising less recognisable symptoms, as was asked for by Evelyn Tweed in her contribution. The training will be available to general practices, emergency departments and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Although we are focusing on FAST, that resource will also cover less common stroke symptoms such as blurred or double vision and loss of balance. The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health has written to all NHS boards to ask them to encourage their staff to sign up when the training becomes available. We have also carried out polling to understand the current level of public awareness of the FAST symptoms. That will inform our future approach to awareness raising on stroke. Furthermore, recognising that tests such as FAST and BE FAST can never be 100 per cent accurate, we are also supporting the Scottish Ambulance Service to explore using video call technology to diagnose hyperacute strokes more accurately.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that less common stroke symptoms are not missed. The harrowing, tragic and traumatic case of the Bundy family is an example of that. We are taking action to improve education and support more accurate diagnosis, and we will continue to monitor the evidence base on stroke recognition to ensure that our approach is informed by the best available evidence.

I once again thank everybody for contributing to what has been a valuable and moving debate, and all those who have contributed to the campaign getting to this point. I am very grateful for that. The actions that are being taken by staff and campaigners are helping to save and change lives, and I am immensely grateful for everyone’s contribution.