Stroke buried in key Welsh NHS Policy

The Stroke Association was pleased to be involved in drafting the stroke section of the National Service Framework for Older People in Wales which is being launched today in Llandrindod Wells by John Griffiths AM, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services. The Stroke Association welcomes the opportunity to work in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government in supporting its implementation. However why is Wales's third biggest killer and the largest single cause of severe disability hidden within the National Service Framework for Older People in Wales?

Joe Korner, Communications Director for The Stroke Association comments: 'The Stroke Association fully supports the stroke Standard within the National Service Framework for Older People in Wales. However, we feel that it is important to acknowledge that there have been advances in medical technology and consensus amongst stroke experts in regard to stroke over the four and a half years since the publication of the English National Service Framework for Older People. We are worried that these advances are not translated in to the National Service Framework for Older People in Wales'.

Stroke does not discriminate and can happen to anyone at any time. The Stroke Association firmly believes there should be a National Service Framework dedicated to stroke. Stroke is the third biggest killer in the country and the largest single cause of severe disability; stroke should be acknowledged accordingly. It is vital that the particular service needs of the 10,000 people under 55 who have a stroke each year are met. Stroke is often seen as an inevitable consequence of ageing, but this is a myth that needs to be urgently dispelled. While the majority of people who have a stroke are over the age of 65, 25,000 people a year under retirement age, including children, have a stroke.

For further information please contact the Press Office at The Stroke Association on 020 7566 1500 or email press@stroke.org.uk

Notes to editor

1. With an ageing population in Wales the burden of stroke is set to rise further. Stroke can affect people of any age, but becomes more common with advancing age. Around two thirds of all strokes occur after the age of 65 years. The incidence of stroke doubles with each decade after the age of 55 years. In Wales this is particularly important as nearly 1 in 4 people are over the age of 60 and 1 in 8 people are over the age of 70. Over the past forty years there has been a 30% increase in the numbers of people over the age of 60 in Wales and the number of people over the age of 85 has increased fourfold. Health inequalities and poor health generally are major problems for Wales. Limiting long-term conditions are higher in Wales than the rest of Britain. 23 per cent of people in Wales report having a limiting long-term illness/disability, compared with 18 per cent in England and 20 per cent in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. With the prevalence of chronic conditions increasing with age, the problem in Wales is forecast to rise. It is therefore vital that action is taken to reduce the long-term and significant impact of stroke.

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