Health and Social Care Committee

HSC(4)-09-11 paper 9

Inquiry into Stroke Risk Reduction – Information from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales

Dear Mr Drakeford

Re: Health and Social Care Committee – Inquiry into stroke risk reduction

Thank you for contacting the Older People’s Commission for Wales with your enquiry received on 29 September 2011. The Commissioner, Ruth Marks, has asked that I respond on her behalf.

My apologies for the delay in responding; however, I wished to share your email within the Commission in order to gather information for a fuller response. Having discussed your request with members of the Commission’s Policy team, I can report back that the Commission has not had any specific evidence brought to us with regard to stroke risk reduction.

Having searched our records, it appears that the only contact we have relating to the issue of strokes has been from the secretary of a regional stroke club raising concerns about the local authority’s withdrawal of funding to the Stroke Association. This has resulted in the cutting of a local stroke support service that provided physical and psychological support in the local area. Despite acknowledging current budgetary constraints faced by local authorities, the Commission shares the enquirer’s concerns that cutting these types of service has a lasting impact on stroke victims and their families. As the enquirer pointed out to us, since the cuts came into being, over 100 people in the area, who had suffered strokes, had been discharged from hospital without any form of continued support. Despite talk of implementing a volunteer service in the area, the enquirer questions the viability and effectiveness such a service would provide as the kind of support required needs specialist knowledge and training.

Again, my apologies for not having responded sooner; however, I would like to thank you again for bringing the inquiry to the Commission’s attention. In addition, we would be very interested in receiving information and updates as to the outcome of the Committee’s inquiry into stroke risk reduction.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Yours sincerely

Robert Ellis

Information and Enquiries Officer
Older People’s Commission for Wales/Comisiwn Pobl Hŷn Cymru