IF anyone is in need of a ray of sunlight in Worcestershire it is stroke patients and, at long last, it may just be breaking through those lowering thunder clouds.

The Stroke Association has launched a £2.2 million appeal to create a centre in Bromsgrove which will throw a lifeline to men and women across Worcestershire who have suffered the devastating brain attack.

The appeal will help create the UK’s first Life After Stroke Centre to improve the lives of thousands of stroke survivors through services, training and information.

Worcestershire is not known for the quality of its stroke care.

Stroke patients enjoy a better chance of recovery if they are treated in a dedicated stroke unit.

But only 55.88 per cent of the county’s stroke patients spent 90 per cent of their time on a stroke unit in 2010/11. This was well below the target, which is that 80 per cent of patients spend 90 per cent of their time in a stroke unit.

The National Sentinel Stroke Audit, published earlier this month, showed that Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester was below average in seven out of nine key areas for stroke care, such as screening for swallowing disorders and carrying out brain scans.

Throw into that the closure of the Aconbury unit at the Royal this August which was used, in part, to rehabilitate stroke patients and discussions taking place internally about whether acute stroke services will close in Worcester and be centralised at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, and patients in the south of the county in particular haven’t had a lot to cheer about.

Every year, more than 11,500 people have a stroke in the West Midlands and at any one time there will be more than 100,000 people affected by stroke living across the region. This centre, based in Bromsgrove, will offer these stroke survivors a space where they can relearn old skills and develop new ones, from mobility and communications therapies to IT and vocational skills.

Training for carers and professionals will ensure they have up-to-date knowledge and skills so they can better support survivors.

According to the UK Stroke Survivor Needs Survey, published by the Stroke Association in November 2010, just over half of the 799 respondents (54 per cent) reported wanting more information about their stroke and a quarter (25 per cent) reported not being aware of a local support group.

There are more than 66 stroke clubs in the Midlands to support stroke survivors and their families, who can use the facilities and access the training on offer. The Stroke Information Service and Stroke Helpline, which handle more than 21,000 requests for information, help and advice each year, will now be based at the new centre. They will manage a resource centre comprising books, journals, life assistance aids and easy-access computers available to anyone affected by or with an interest in stroke.

Hilary Devey, founder and chief executive of the PallEx Group and newest star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den, is chairing the charity’s appeal.

She said: “I’ve always thought I was tough, but having a stroke was without question the scariest moment in my life. The feeling of helplessness and not being able to make sense of what is happening to you – nothing prepares you for that.

“The fact is this new centre, the first of its kind in the UK, is an investment that will change the lives of stroke survivors. So please join us now and be part of a unique project that will make a huge and positive impact on the journey of recovery for stroke survivors and their families.”

The £2.2 million purchase and refurbishment costs will be offset against the leasehold rental and service charges of an estimated £180,000 a year. Over the first three years, the charity anticipates a total saving of £1.4 million through savings on rent, staff costs and increased income.

Jon Barrick, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke can be very isolating. Every five minutes in the UK someone has a stroke and we know it is the leading cause of adult disability. This centre will make a huge and positive impact on the journey of recovery and beyond for stroke survivors. We will work alongside survivors and their families to provide them with support, training, information and advice. We have made a start but we still need everyone’s help to make it a reality.”

For more information on the project, visit stroke.org.uk/ newcentre.

STROKE FACTFILE

􀁥 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK and it’s the UK’s third biggest killer.

􀁥 A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. A stroke can be diagnosed by using FAST – Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech problems, Time to call 999. If any of these symptoms are present call an ambulance straight away.

􀁥 The Stroke Association campaigns, educates and informs to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society, acting as a voice for everyone affected by stroke. The charity funds research into prevention, treatment, better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community support services as well as providing information through its helpline, leaflets and factsheets.

􀁥 The Stroke Helpline provides information on stroke to the general public and is open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday on 03033 033100.

More information on the Stroke Association can be found at stroke.org.uk.

LIVING WITH A STROKE ‘YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU’

A FATHER who suffered from a stroke and the family who care for him hope to benefit from the new centre when it opens.

Justin Butler, of St Peter’s Drive, St Peter’s, Worcester, suffered a stroke at the age of 52 on August 24 last year and spent six months in Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester.

As a result of the stroke he suffers from speech problems, limited mobility down his right side, fatigue and problems with concentration.

Mr Butler has two daughters, 21-year-old Amanda and 12-yearold Julia, who have also had to come to terms with his reduced mobility.

The community stroke team visit Mr Butler daily to help with his rehabilitation but this care is due to end within the next fortnight and the family say they will be glad of the additional support the centre can provide them.

To begin with, he needed a wheelchair and ramps to get in and out of the house but now he can move with the aid of a quad stick.

His wife Cathy Butler, aged 48, said: “I didn’t know anything about strokes and you do feel quite alone. He was just 52 when he had the stroke, which is relatively young. He didn’t have any medical problems beforehand.

It’s very difficult. People associate strokes with old people.

He was healthy and never visited a doctor beforehand.

“It will be good to know there’s somebody there, that there will be a centre there where you can say, ‘This is happening – is this normal?’ and for someone to say ‘yes’. It’s having somebody to talk to. It’s going to be a great thing because there’s something there for us to turn to. It’s also local to us and you can also get involved in the social side of it. A stroke is something you don’t understand until it happens to you. I still don’t understand what Justin is going through.

“I find it difficult because it was me making decisions on my own – decisions we would have always made together, especially when he was in hospital.”