Thrombectomy is a game-changing acute treatment for stroke that can transform recoveries in an instant, significantly reducing the chances of disability such as paralysis.
So why, despite the clear benefits, are nearly two-thirds of patients still missing out on thrombectomy?
With mechanical thrombectomy, clots blocking the supply of blood to the brain are physically removed.
The treatment is so effective that patients could be walking out of hospital the next day. And rightly so. It has been described as one of the most innovative treatments ever developed.
While rates are increasing slowly in England, with 3.3% of all stroke patients getting a thrombectomy (up from 2.8% in 2022), this still falls way short of the NHS Long Term Plan target of 10% and is totally unacceptable.
Stroke and thrombectomy teams across the country are working relentlessly to make it available but there is still a shocking and unwarranted postcode lottery with significant regional variations in access.
In some areas there’s still no thrombectomy service available at the weekend or outside of the working day. Sadly, without improvements, over 44,000 eligible people will unfortunately miss out on this treatment by 2029/30.
Round-the-clock access to thrombectomy could save the health and care system an estimated £73million each year – as it can make the difference between stroke survivors spending months in rehabilitation or living a life free from disability.
Thrombectomy must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for everyone who needs it. It should not be “subject to availability”. Thrombectomy saves brains, saves money and changes lives.
There are persistent barriers to 24/7 access, which include a lack of staff, regional buy-in and access to capital funding.
We need political leadership on stroke and commitment by local NHS leaders in England, to help improve stroke outcomes and faster rollout of the use of thrombectomy as treatment.
National and local system leaders have a core responsibility to prioritise and address the unacceptable inequalities in outcomes and thrombectomy access.
