Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:48 pm on 26 October 2022.
Unfortunately, it doesn't give me any grace to say that I actually know only too well just how serious a stroke can be. Not too long ago my mother actually had a stroke and, thankfully, by acting swiftly, we managed to limit the amount of damage it caused. What started off as a headache—in her words, a migraine and flu-like symptoms—quickly turned into something really sinister. And with my mum being rushed to hospital with three clots having formed on her brain, thankfully, after a two-week stay in hospital and really, really extensive physiotherapy and speech therapy, which went on for months, she made a pretty good recovery. If we hadn't acted quickly and got her to hospital on time, the outcome would have been completely different, and I'm under no illusion here that there's a chance that she would be dead today.
Everyone knows that the quicker you act when someone is having a stroke, the better. We've all heard about the acronym FAST—face, arms, speech and time—when it comes to acting upon a stroke, and it's worth remembering, and I only became aware of this after my mother had hers, that there is that golden hour, which many of my colleagues have spoken about today when it comes to having a stroke. The likelihood of having serious or irreversible harm, in fact, during a stroke hugely increases if the patient doesn't receive definitive treatment within the first 60 minutes. However, shockingly, in Wales, it takes more than six hours and 30 minutes on average between stroke onset and arrival in hospital. In comparison, it takes just over three hours and 40 minutes in England, and two hours and 41 minutes in Northern Ireland.
With an estimated 7,400 people a year having a stroke in Wales, it's vital that we do all that we can to ensure that more patients are seen as quickly as possible, as it is a matter of life and death. Many 999 calls for a suspected stroke in Wales arrive beyond the golden hour, since the Labour Government here downgraded suspected stroke ambulance services to amber. Like I said earlier, acting fast is crucial, and I cannot emphasise how grateful I am to the paramedics who came to our aid, and those who continue to help those who experience a stroke. But with amber calls in Wales taking on average an hour and 35 minutes to arrive to patients, let's be honest, it's not that fast at all.
Education is key to improving outcomes for people who are suffering from a stroke. There needs to be a huge push to make sure that people know how important it is to seek medical attention if they are showing symptoms of a stroke. Many years ago, when I worked for the regional Member for South Wales East, he organised a stroke event for all of his constituents with the help of and in association with the Stroke Association—if that made sense—to make the public aware of the symptoms and challenges that one experiences when having a stroke. It was a huge success and really appreciated by the residents of south-east Wales, but sadly the Senedd does not allow such events to take place any more, which is a real, real shame.
A review into the benefits and challenges of making strokes red calls instead of amber is needed, Minister, and needed urgently. I really hope that Labour Ministers and colleagues here in the Senedd today will listen to what I and other Members have said today and act quickly to save lives. Thank you.