In response to a House of Commons debate on support for the victims of strokes, health minister Hazel Blears said that the government is committed to improving services for all NHS patients, including those who have had strokes.

The minister argued that the government has invested substantial extra funds in the NHS and intends to invest even more over the next five years.

She concluded: "For people with stroke, initiatives such as the national service framework will do much to drive up standards of care. The improved standards will apply to stroke patients across the country, whatever their age."

Forum Response: The Stroke Association

Eoin Redahan, director of public relations at The Stroke Association, told ePolitix.com: "Both Jim Cunningham and Claire Curtis-Thomas raised some very important points about the care of stroke patients. Their comments reflect the concerns that The Stroke Association has regarding the provision of stroke services.

"We were pleased to see that Hazel Blears confirmed that stroke care is a priority and that she recognised the specific needs of all age groups and the African-Caribbean community.

"We hope that this positive confirmation of stroke as a priority means that we will see a lot more action from both the NHS and the social services and that the care of stroke patients will quickly improve dramatically."