Thousands of stroke patients denied life-changing treatment, charity warns

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The Stroke Association said that patients face “stark inequalities” as to whether or not they are given a thrombectomy – a treatment for stroke that removes a blood clot from a blocked blood vessel in the brain.

Getting the treatment in the hours after stroke symptoms start can save a person’s life or reduce the risk of life-long disability as it reduces brain damage caused by a clot.

Analysis from the Stroke Association suggests that in the three months from October to December last year, 1,222 patients missed out on a thrombectomy, which must be carried out in the first 24 hours after stroke.

The charity said that some parts of the country do not have access to 24/7 thrombectomy services, leading to disparities for patients.

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NHS plans from 2019 set out ambitions to expand thrombectomy from 1% to 10% of stroke patients, saying the move would lead 1,600 more people to be independent after their stroke each year.

But the Stroke Association said that the target has not been met.

The charity said that data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, found that just 4.8% of stroke patients had a thrombectomy between October and December 2025.

Funding was made available to try to prepare services for 24/7 care.

But the charity said that of the 24 specialist neuroscience centres across England, only 17 currently deliver a thrombectomy regardless of the day or time.

Professor Deb Lowe, medical director for the Stroke Association, said: “There are a multitude of reasons given as to why thrombectomy is still subject to stark inequalities which mean some stroke patients are left facing a life of disability when others are not.

“Gaps in the stroke workforce are a major factor here as is targeted funding, prioritisation by commissioners and hospital leaders, as well as timing delays due to ambulance response times or hospital handovers.

“There are thousands of stroke survivors in the UK who could be living very different lives from the realities they now face if they had received a thrombectomy.

“They could potentially work, live independently, easily hold a conversation, and simply enjoy a sense of normality. Instead, they may not be able to even leave the house without help.

“We can – and must – do better, so the 240 people who survive stroke every day have the chance to live well.”

Phil Woodford, now 55, had a stroke on a weekend in 2016, which meant he missed out on a thrombectomy because his nearest service was yet to introduce 24/7 care.

Mr Woodford, from Preston, was left with significant disability including reduced movement on his left-hand side, permanent pain and fatigue, which meant he had to take early retirement from his career as an NHS director.

“I will never know for sure but I am confident that, if I’d had a thrombectomy, I wouldn’t have been forced to retire due to the extent of disability I had been left with,” he said.

“It’s still frustratingly not as widely available as it needs to be.

“People can obviously be unwell at any time of the day or week, so it makes no sense to not offer such a vital service around the clock too.”

An NHS England spokesperson said: “The NHS continues to expand thrombectomy services for those eligible, with more stroke patients receiving it each year, but it is not the right course of treatment for all, and new clot-busting treatments are also helping to improve patient care and reduce the need for more invasive procedures.

“Over eight in 10 now have access to 24/7 thrombectomy centres, with remaining sites opening in the coming months, and we’re investing an extra £14 million to further expand services, and training additional staff to carry out mechanical thrombectomy.”