I joined with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and patients to call on the Health Secretary to demand a life-changing stroke procedure be brought back into Scottish hospitals.
Earlier this year, a procedure called thrombectomy was withdrawn from Scottish hospitals but remains available elsewhere in the UK. In 2017, only 13 people received this life-changing treatment in Scotland before a moratorium was introduced – but as many as 600 would have benefited.
Thrombectomy is a highly specialised procedure that involves physically removing blood clots from the brain. In England 25 hospitals deliver the treatment and £100m has been identified to develop this further. In the Republic of Ireland between 200 and 300 people receive a thrombectomy each year.
The “Bring Back Thrombectomy” campaign is calling for the Scottish Government to step in and identify national funding to reinstate thrombectomy services, address a shortage of trained staff and develop a clear national plan for rolling out the service to patients across Scotland.
I support these calls, and urge people that agree to sign the petition, write the Cabinet Secretary for Health and highlight the campaign on social media. People deserve the best chance possible of recovery.
Please sign the petition here: www.chss.org.uk/thrombectomy
