Two-hour wait for stroke treatment

Postcode lottery and potentially deadly delays are laid bare by shocking figures

- BY ANDREW QUINN

Figures obtained by Scottish Labour revealed patients are waiting nearly 10 minutes longer for blood clots to be removed than they were in 2018.

Removing blood clots quickly gives stroke patients a higher chance of recovery — so delays can mean the difference between years of living independently, or severe disability or death.

But the time it takes from calling an ambulance to receiving a thrombolysis has risen to 126 minutes.

Patients in the remotest areas face waits of than 30 minutes longer.

Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “These figures are a stark reminder that under the SNP stroke patients face a postcode lottery.