Harry Cohen
WORK AT WARRINGTON HOSPITAL
We can all be guilty of complaining too quickly about things and not giving praise at all where it is due. That is why I invited Stephen Ladyman, who is the Minister responsible for stroke care at the Department of Health, along to Warrington hospital recently to see for himself the tremendous job that is being done there – a job that is often taken for granted and which does not receive the praise it deserves. He, like me, was extremely impressed with the work of all the staff involved. In addition to staff members we had the opportunity to meet representatives of some of the voluntary organisations which support the patients and their relatives and listen to their views.
Stroke is the third biggest killer in this country, behind cancer and heart disease, and the largest single cause of serious disability and yet we don’t give the prevention and treatment of stroke as much priority as we should. My own interest in the subject stems from the fact that my father suffered a stroke in his early fifties and as a result it is an issue that I’ve pursued in the House of Commons. We often think of stroke as something which only affects the elderly but 30 people of working age have a stroke every day in this country and a thousand each year will be under 30. As many as 80% of younger stroke victims will lose their job as a result and I am keen to see that more advice is offered to them with regard to employment retaining and educational opportunities
The government is working to improve stroke services setting specific targets for the development of integrated stroke services and by making sure that there is early identification and preventative action to reduce the risk of a stroke.
We can all help reduce our own risk by cutting down on salt in our diet, eating more fruit and vegetables – five portions per day can reduce the risk by a massive 40% - and by taking exercise. However, for anyone who does have a stroke treatment in a specialist unit provides the best possible outcome.
All the patients we met at Warrington Hospital were enthusiastic about the care they had received and full of praise for the staff. We should also remember those people who work with the stroke association and the carers centre who put a great deal of effort into helping people once they leave hospital. Their efforts are vital for the many victims of stroke, and members of their families, who suffer from feelings of helplessness and need this support to deal with what is a life changing situation.
There is still a lot to do but it was very encouraging to see the improvements which have been made.
You can contact me in the following ways: by letter to Gilbert Wakefield House, 67 Bewsey Street, WA2 7JQ or the House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA ; by phone on 01925 232 480 ; by fax on 01925 232 239 ; or by e-mail at jonesh@parliament.uk
