Stroke Sufferers

It is a particular pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Williams. We are indebted to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) for raising this very important debate. However, I am sure that he will understand when I say that tributes should be directed to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) for his contribution. The test of time will show that he has been an inspiration to many thousands of people who have had the same experience. I represent a Welsh constituency, so the responsibility for Government policy that affects my constituents is a matter for the Welsh National Assembly, and I am reminded by the Chair not to stray into devolved matters. Like the hon. Member for Isle of Wight, I want to spend a few minutes talking about the invaluable work of the voluntary sector and, in particular, of two or three organisations with which I have had the privilege of working over the past couple of years. The hon. Gentleman said that we cannot build rehabilitation services without the voluntary sector. We have heard a lot about the Government's laudable 10-year strategy and the contribution that social services departments make, but we must also acknowledge the work of the voluntary sector; without it, the lives of many thousands of people would be considerably worse. It has risen to meet the challenges mentioned earlier. For example, strokes are the third most common form of death in the United Kingdom, accounting for 9 per cent. of the deaths of men and 13 per cent. of women. The Aberystwyth and district stroke club in my constituency has 60 members, 40 of whom have had strokes. Many carers attend the meetings. We have not heard a huge amount about the carers and the unique advice and support that should be directed toward them. The Aberystwyth and district stroke club was borne out of frustration with the lack of provision, yet, in its 20-year history, it has never received any public funding. A similar such point was alluded to by the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor). The club has been reliant on the generosity of businesses and local residents to keep it going. It offers important confidence-building services, weekend breaks and help for people who may not have the chance or the resources to get away. It runs a bus, which is funded by the lottery's ““awards for all”” scheme, that costs between £4,000 and £5,000 a year. However, more importantly, it enables stroke victims to meet other people in the same position as themselves—people who are some way along the path to rehabilitation, and who can offer the wisdom of their experience. A central focus of the debate so far has been the need for immediate care and diagnosis. Everybody in this Chamber will agree with that goal, which has been raised by the Aberystwyth and district stroke club. Many of its members have had to wait 24 or 48 hours for a scan. Like many others here, I represent a rural constituency. If we put into that context the misfortune of suffering a stroke and mix it with living in some of the most isolated and scattered communities in the country, it is a frightening experience. Ambulance times are already challenging. I ask the Minister to comment on the role of telemedicine throughout the country. The service has been pioneered in my constituency in Bronglais hospital, in Aberystwyth, and plays an invaluable role in assisting early diagnosis. It brings the expertise that may be available elsewhere into more scattered communities—a point made by Professor Boyle in his analysis. We were disturbed to hear the story from the hon. Member for Pudsey (Mr. Truswell) about the couple in his constituency. We need to remind ourselves that recovery from stroke can be an incredibly long-term process; 25 per cent. of all long-term beds in hospital are occupied by stroke patients. We need to ensure that support is available in hospital and that the voluntary mechanisms are in place to enable people to have the moral support and encouragement to make the long journey to full health. I applaud the Government for their announcement about the ring-fenced money, but I echo the views of the hon. Member for Nottingham, North about the need for us to monitor where that money is going and to ensure that our social services are delivering the services that we and the Government expect of them. For those who are able to live at home after suffering a stroke, the support provided by the voluntary sector is invaluable. I know that we are only a year into the strategy, but will the Minister tell us whether an early appraisal has been made of the adequacy of the ring-fenced funds? Some voluntary groups have raised real concerns about the grants and funding made available to them. Positive Action for Stroke, which is based in my constituency, has had real difficulty obtaining funding. The Progressive Action Group in Aberystwyth faces similar concerns. I hope that the Minister will reflect on the importance of voluntary organisations in helping those who have had strokes, even if he cannot get into the nitty-gritty of the funding. Some public bodies have been reluctant to fund voluntary groups when lottery funding has not been available, and it has been a great challenge to find alternative sources of funds. If the Minister pointed the voluntary groups in the direction of funding, that would be very welcome. I want to emphasise the importance of the services that voluntary groups offer. Progressive Action arranges what it calls ““fun activities””, such as computing and arts and crafts. However, such activities also help stroke victims to return to the employment market. We have heard about the depression faced by many stroke victims. Again, in a rural constituency, that should be seen in the context of rural isolation, the feeling that one is not getting the services to which one is perhaps entitled, compounded by the health condition that has to be endured. The ability to have organised breaks and activities allows people to be much more active than they might otherwise be. We are all aware that activity and dialogue, which the hon. Member for Isle of Wight mentioned, are integral to recovery. Such activity also ensures that victims can redevelop motor skills. The care is delivered as part of a care package, but once that time in hospital has ended, the recovery process can go on for many months and years. Having help and support outside the hospital environment is extremely valuable in aiding recovery. It is also very beneficial for people to be able to make new friends, and to meet those who have had similar experiences and been through the same process. The hon. Member for Nottingham, North put his case very concisely. I, too, believe that part of the emphasis should be on the importance of raising awareness to prevent strokes. However, as the hon. Member for Isle of Wight said—my contribution is humble compared to his—it is important to recognise the work done by the voluntary sector in providing assistance to those affected by strokes. I want to finish by praising the work of our health professionals. We have talked about developing skills and expertise in our hospitals. We have all had our family experiences in these matters; mine involved a dear aunt. I remember the fateful phone conversation when her husband told me that she had suffered a stroke and had lost the power of speech. She was a chatty, enthusiastic and vibrant individual who did a huge amount for her community: then—stop. Two years on, she has recovered her power of speech and is as active a member of the community as she used to be. That is no small tribute to her abilities and enthusiasm, but also to the health professionals who have helped her so much, and to the voluntary sector.