His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent Visits The Stroke Association and Stroke Services in Norwich

The Stroke Association's President, His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, will be meeting staff and volunteers from the East Anglia region of The Stroke Association on 5 March. He will also be visiting the acute stroke unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and a stroke rehabilitation unit at the Norwich Community Hospital. The visit will start at 1.45pm.

His Royal Highness will tour the two stroke units, acute and rehabilitation, meeting staff and patients. The Duke will be welcomed by Professor Averil Mansfield, Chairman of The Stroke Association, and Margaret Goose, Chief Executive.

1000 stroke patients a year are admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for specialist treatment and therapy, including the latest in brain scan technology. Rehabilitation continues at the Norwich Community Hospital with health and social services staff. Representatives from all these groups will have the opportunity to meet His Royal Highness.

Sue Hampton, East Anglia Regional Manager of The Stroke Association said "We are thrilled that His Royal Highness will be visiting The Stroke Association in East Anglia and meeting our staff and volunteers as well as colleagues providing stroke services in Norwich. Both of the stroke units provide excellent care and treatment and we hope his visit will raise the profile of stroke and the contribution The Stroke Association is making."

The Stroke Association is currently spearheading a campaign entitled Why Are We Waiting, focusing on the need for pecialist stroke units in all general hospitals of sufficient capacity to care for all stroke patients. It has been shown that stroke patients have a better outcome if treated by specialist staff in dedicated stroke units.

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For more details regarding The Stroke Association please contact Annabel Sogan, Media Manager, The Stroke Association, email Media Team or telephone 020 7566 1506.

If you would like to attend please notify Chief Inspector Richard Curtis, The Royalty Protection Department, Dersingham Police Station, 43 Manor Road, Dersingham PE31 6LH. Tel no. 01485 540878 Fax no. 01485 544222, email Richard Curtis

Please see Notes to Editor: point 2. Press opportunities are at the Norwich Community Hospital only - on arrival and at the informal meeting in the coffee lounge.

Notes to Editor:

1. The Duke of Kent will arrive at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital by car at 1.45pm. There is no media opportunity at this point.

2. He is then due to arrive at Norwich Community Hospital, Bowthorpe Road at 2.20pm ending his visit at 2.45pm with an informal meeting in the coffee lounge with Stroke Association staff and volunteers, and representatives from the hospital social services and their community groups involved in stroke. The Duke of Kent will leave Norwich Community Hospital at 3.25pm.

3. Each year over 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke. Of all people who suffer from a stroke, about a third are likely to die within the first 10 days, about a third are likely to make a recovery within one month and about a third are likely to be left disabled and needing rehabilitation.

4. Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other medical condition. A quarter of a million people are living with long-term disability as a result of stroke in the UK.

5. The Stroke Association is a national charity which is solely concerned with stroke. It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services. We also campaign, educate and inform to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society and we act as a voice for everyone affected by stroke.

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