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Stroke Information
Stroke is the greatest single cause of severe disability in Scotland and the 3rd most common cause of death.
There are 13,000 new strokes a year and of these more than 1 in 5 are in someone under 65.
Stroke kills more than 3 times as many women every year as breast cancer.
There are thousands of husbands, wives, children and friends who care for people who have had a stroke, whose lives are directly affected.
This section provides information about strokes and transient ischaemic attacks (TIA).
For information see relevant pages.
Stroke is a medical emergency. Act FAST Call 999!
Stroke is a medical emergency. By calling 999 you can help someone reach hospital quickly and receive the early treatment they need.
Ambulance crews use FAST and with hospital staff can act fast to identify and diagnose a stroke quickly.
F—Facial weakness. Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
A—Arm weakness. Can the person raise both arms?
S—Speech problems. Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
T—Test all 3 symptoms
Find out more about our FAST Campaign.
Stroke Strategy for Scotland
One of our main publications is our Stroke Strategy (see related documents - right ) which resulted from our own commissioned research. This has highlighted deficiencies in stroke care in most health board areas in Scotland.
The result is a document which should empower stroke patients and their families to obtain the best available facilities, treatment and services.
The document has been widely circulated for consultation and presented to the Scottish Executive and MSPs. We hope that it will be a lever for change and will be the forerunner to many such initiatives.
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