Stroke survivors 'face life of disability' due to brutal NHS postcode lottery

Stroke victims are missing out on a potentially lifesaving procedure due to an NHS postcode lottery. A thrombectomy removes a blood clot from a blocked blood vessel in the brain and must be performed in the 24 hours after a stroke. Experts warn patchy access to it at hospitals in the UK means “some stroke patients are left facing a life of disability when others are not”. Analysis from the Stroke Association suggests that in the three months from October to December last year, 1,222 stroke patients missed out on a thrombectomy. The charity’s medical director Professor Deb Lowe said: "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." Over 85,000 people survive a stroke every year in the UK. Brain damage caused by a stroke can leave survivors unable to move, see, speak or even swallow. The NHS is missing a target set out in 2019 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. 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. The Stroke Association said that of the 24 specialist neuroscience centres across England, only 17 currently deliver a thrombectomy regardless of the day or time. This is despite funding reportedly being made available to try to prepare services for 24/7 care. Phil Woodford, aged 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. He has been left with significant disability including reduced movement on his left-hand side, permanent pain and fatigue. Phil, from Preson, was forced to take early retirement from his career as an NHS director. He said: "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. "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." Professor Deb Lowe added: "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.” A spokeswoman for NHS England 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 8 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.” Addenbrooke’s Hospital Southmead Hospital Charing Cross Hospital Derriford Hospital Hull Royal Infirmary* James Cook University Hospital* John Radcliffe Hospital King’s College Hospital Leeds General Infirmary* Queen Elizabeth Hospital Queen’s Medical Centre – Nottingham Queens Hospital Romford Royal Hallamshire Hospital* Royal London Hospital Royal Preston Hospital Royal Stoke University Hospital Royal Sussex County Hospital* Royal Victoria Infirmary* Salford Royal Hospital Southampton General Hospital St George’s Hospital University College Hospital University Hospital Coventry* Walton Centre