WARRINGTON South MP Faisal Rashid has expressed ‘serious concerns’ over the future of stroke care.

The national 10-year stroke strategy will end in December, with Mr Rashid recently meeting with stroke survivors and carers – who expressed the need for a new place for the next decade.

Mr Rashid has now written a letter to the secretary of state for health Jeremy Hunt, in which he raises ‘serious concerns’ over the future of stroke care across the UK.

In the letter, he said: “I am sure you will be aware that there are over 1.2m stroke survivors in the UK, and that 45 per cent of stroke survivors in England feel abandoned after they leave hospital.

“This is a deeply troubling statistic that highlights the need for improvements to stroke care across the UK.

“I represent 1,800 stroke survivors in Warrington South and recently met with my local Stroke Action Group, made up of stroke carers and survivors who shared their experiences and concerns with me.

“Many of these people acknowledged the improvements in stroke care since the implementation of the national stroke strategy, but remain concerned about the variation in stroke care across the country and have serious concerns about the future of stroke care – especially when the national stroke strategy comes to an end in December.

“I would therefore like to ask for your assurances for my constituents – and the 1.2m other stroke survivors in the UK – that ministers in your department are taking action to replace the national stroke strategy and ask what conversations have been had between the department of health and the NHS in regards to the future of stroke care in the UK.”