Response to Alan Millburn's speech on the voluntary sector and public services

The Stroke Association provides a variety of community-based services across England and Wales to support stroke patients, their families and carers. These include services to help people whose speech has been affected by stroke, support for families and young stroke survivors, as well as welfare grants.

Our services have been developed in close consultation with groups who use them, such as patients, their relatives and carers, as well those who purchase them such as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). However, stroke patients are faced with a postcode lottery when it comes to the care available in their region, as unfortunately not all PCTs have recognised the importance of having stroke services in place.

We welcome the recognition by the government of the value of services that charities provide. We hope that this will result in greater financial support to PCTs which will enable them to ensure that all stroke patients in England and Wales have access to the same high standard of care.

Notes to editor

1. 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. 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.

2. The Stroke Association is the only national charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. It funds research into prevention, treatment and better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services. These include dysphasia support, family support, information services, welfare grants, publications and leaflets. 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.

3. A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Most strokes occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Some strokes are caused by bleeding in or around the brain from a burst blood vessel. When the blood supply is disrupted, parts of the brain become damaged or destroyed. Some strokes are fatal whist others can cause permanent or temporary paralysis to one side of the body and loss of the ability to speak, read or write. Recovery may be slow and can vary from person to person

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