Responding to stroke
Strokes affect a quarter of people over 45, of which only 50 per cent will survive the subsequent 12 months. In other words, one in eight adults over the age of 45 will die as a result of a stroke. A quick response using a type of drug called ‘thrombolytics’ can reduce the impact of a stroke, yet typically only one per cent of UK stroke victims receive these drugs in the critical post stroke period.
At King’s College Hospital we treat 30 per cent of patients with these critical drugs up to six hours after a stroke, more than any other stroke centre worldwide. These treatments save lives and save memories and mobility. Through this campaign we will invest in new research that will help us get even better at treating stroke fast and to spread that knowledge so that it becomes the standard.