Letters to the Editor: Surviving stroke is all about timing

Martin Quinn: ‘Awareness is key to stroke prevention.’ Picture: Larry Cummins

As a stroke survivor I welcome the launch of a new Irish Heart Foundation campaign on stroke titled ‘Act FAST — Minutes Matter’. This campaign comes at a time when an extra 800 stroke sufferers a year are at increased risk of death and disability due to an alarming fall in patients getting clot-busting treatment on time.

At the same time, we learn from an Irish National Audit of Stroke that the number of stroke admissions rose by 23% in the nine-year period between 2013 and 2021, with an increase in the proportion of patients under the age of 64. As a member of the Irish National Audit of Stroke Governance Committee, I was aware of the data from the audit and of the fact that while there are significant areas of improvement in stroke care there are many challenges that still exist in different areas.