Joyce Watson, AM for Mid and West Wales, has launched a campaign to end the “postcode lottery” of stroke provision in her constituency.The Stroke Association provides two core services for stroke patients in the community: Communication Support, which is designed to help stroke survivors with a communication disability regain or replace those vital skills lost as the result of suffering a stroke, and a Family and Carer Support Service, which provides information, practical help and emotional support.
These services, which are funded under contractual arrangements with health or social services and complement existing NHS services, including speech and language therapy, are not available everywhere in Wales.
Ceredigion and Powys do not currently commission these services. Pembrokeshire, whilst providing a Communication Support Service, does not fund the Family and Carer Support Service, though health managers have indicated that there might be funding for next year. The rest of Wales has both services.
Joyce has written letters to health bosses in these counties and has also written to health minister Edwina Hart to see if there is a way that these services could be commissioned more centrally.
The AM was alerted to these issues by one of her Pembrokeshire constituents - a speech and language therapist who sees the Stroke Association services as essential.
The therapist said: “We understand that it is part of our role to facilitate communication between the patient and their partner. However, it is becoming increasingly more common for us to be taking on the role of counsellor and support staff to the relatives of those who have had a stroke.
“There are many people who I see, particularly in Pembrokeshire where elderly people come to retire and so have no family living nearby, they live rurally and only the husband can drive. The husband has a stroke and suddenly the wife becomes stranded and isolated. If the husband also has a communication problem this can impact greatly upon her quality of life and there is absolutely no support for people in this kind of situation. About one quarter of my caseload falls into this category.”
John and Angela Hollies have been helped by the Stroke Association after Angela suffered a stroke in September 2001. Angela currently accesses Carmarthenshire’s Communication Support Service.
Trish Hughes, deputy director of Stroke Association Cymru, said: “It is very worrying that there is a postcode lottery for stroke survivors, their carers and families across Wales.
“Where you live or where you have your stroke will determine what services you receive, and as a result of your postcode you could find that you are unable to access vital stroke rehabilitation services. Every day across Wales people are suffering a stroke; every individual has the right to better care and everyone has the right to access the same stroke services as their neighbour but because of the post code lottery for stroke services in Wales that is not the case, and in the 21st century that is not acceptable”.
Joyce, who also raised this issue during an Assembly debate on the restructuring of the NHS on Tuesday, said: “It is unacceptable that a stroke patient in one part of my constituency can access these essential services yet someone else in a different county is left without support.
“I intend to make sure that this situation does not continue.”
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