Prime Minister asked to help stroke service carry on

Joe Shute

A CAMPAIGN to save a vital stroke service has been stepped up after the Prime Minister was lobbied over its plight in the House of Commons.

At Prime Minister’s Question Time, Phil Willis MP told Gordon Brown that the Stroke Association’s Family and Carer Support service, described as a lifeline to hundreds of families across Harrogate and Craven, was due to have its funding cut next month.

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Mr Willis, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said: “In Harrogate, the Stroke Association Family and Carer Support Service, led by Jenny Jones, has done remarkable work supporting victims in their own homes.

“Yet the Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire County Council has slashed the entire 35,000 annual budget preferring instead to spend 442,000 on a self congratulatory newspaper.

“On average one person in the UK will suffer from a stroke every five minutes with potentially devastating effect on the lives of individuals and their families.

“Will the Prime Minister urge North Yorkshire County Council to think again about withdrawing a vital stroke service to my constituents?”

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The campaign to save the service was launched two weeks ago after it was claimed the county council would not renew funding when its contract runs out in March. The decision was made despite it commissioning similar services in other parts of North Yorkshire.

The stroke service was set up in 2008 and was the first of its kind in North Yorkshire.

As well as a support group, the service includes home visits to provide advice and information to stroke victims and their families. It is these visits that are likely to be axed when the funding ends in March.

A county council spokesperson said: “We have met with the Stroke Association and are developing a business plan on how to deliver the service for the Harrogate and Craven areas.”