'Ambulance delays risk killing stroke patients'

LIVES will be lost or damaged forever as the NHS is hit by winter chaos from Covid, infections and flu, a stroke charity has warned.

- Chris Riches

NHS England data shows the latest average response time for Category 2 ambulance calls, which include strokes, was 42 minutes and 26 seconds - the longest this year.

Stroke is the UK's fourth leading cause of death and because 1.9 million brain cells die every minute a patient is left untreated, speedy specialist ward treatment is crucial.

Procedures like thrombectomy and thrombolysis can make the difference between someone leaving hospital walking, in a wheelchair, or even alive.

Stroke Association chief executive, Juliet Bouverie, said: "Far too many stroke patients are left with no option but to sit and watch the time tick by as they wait for lifesaving treatment.