Stroke funding u-turn 'will cost lives', charity warns

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced a HSE recruitment freeze due to financial constraints in recent weeks.

More stroke patients will die and suffer severe disabilities if a pledge to fund vital services is reneged on, the Irish Heart Foundation has warned.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said there would be no funding this year to deliver the National Stroke Strategy, thereby restricting lifesaving services such as thrombectomy, and increasing the risk of stroke unit closures, the charity said.