Falkirk family campaigning for stroke symptom change meet First Minister

A Falkirk family have met Scotland’s First Minister to discuss making life-saving treatment available round the clock to anyone who has had a stroke.

Falkirk councillor James Bundy and his family met John Swinney to discuss the delivery of a nationwide 24/7 thrombectomy service on Thursday, the third anniversary of the stroke suffered by James’ father, Anthony.

A thrombectomy is an emergency procedure that removes a blood clot from the brain following a severe stroke.

It is one of the most effective treatments available for reducing death and disability after stroke.

However, despite its proven benefits, thrombectomy is not currently available around the clock across Scotland, as the Bundy family discovered when Tony fell ill.

As a result, a patient’s access to life-saving treatment can still depend on the time of day, the day of the week, or where they live, and Cllr Bundy and his family have been campaigning tirelessly to change this.

Tony's family are fighting to expand symptom list for strokes after his 'avoidable' death — Tony’s family are fighting to expand symptom list for strokes after his ‘avoidable’ death STV News

In the recent Scottish Parliament election, four of the six parties represented at Holyrood included commitments on thrombectomy in their manifestos, meaning more than three-quarters of MSPs were elected on platforms supporting the expansion of thrombectomy services.

Anthony Bundy, who was 53 years old, experienced a stroke on June 25, 2023.

Because it occurred on a Sunday, he was forced to wait 17 hours for a thrombectomy procedure that was unavailable at the time.

Three years on, his family continues to live with the consequences of that delay.

Following the meeting, James said: “I would like to thank the First Minister for taking the time to meet with my mum and me to discuss the future of thrombectomy services in Scotland.

“The date of this meeting was particularly significant for our family. Today marks three years since my dad’s stroke.

“His experience is the reason we began campaigning, and it remains a
powerful reminder of why this issue matters.

“The principle behind our campaign is straightforward. No family should face a situation where their loved one’s chances of survival or recovery depend on the time of day a stroke occurs.

“Scottish patients deserve fair and consistent access to the best available treatment.

“There is now broad political support for 24/7 thrombectomy. The debate is no longer whether it should happen, but how quickly it can be delivered. Our focus is on working constructively with government, clinicians and stroke charities to help make that a reality.

“I hope today’s meeting marks another positive step towards ensuring that every eligible stroke patient in Scotland can access thrombectomy whenever they need it.

“Scotland’s stroke charities have been at the forefront of calls to expand thrombectomy services and ensure equitable access to treatment across the country.

Colin Oliver, policy lead for Scotland at the Stroke Association, said: “The Stroke Association commends the Bundy family for meeting with the First Minister and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer to demand that thrombectomy is made available around the clock across Scotland.

“Stroke is the only emergency critical health condition not to have 24/7 access to treatment that best enables stroke survivors to make a good recovery – and that is simply unacceptable.

“We stand with them as well as Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland, stroke clinicians, and all the major political parties on the desperate need for this life-changing treatment to be available for every stroke patient who could benefit from it.

“Public Services Delivery Scotland must prioritise delivery of timelines to make thrombectomy available regardless of the time of day.

“Until this happens, the morale of health professionals will be further eroded, and families in Scotland will be tragically torn apart today, tomorrow, and every other day until a 24/7 thrombectomy service is rolled out.”

Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), said: “Every day, at CHSS, we hear from people whose lives have been transformed by fast access to specialist treatments like thrombectomy – but too many still miss out depending on where they live. That has to change.

“We welcome the constructive discussion between James Bundy and the First Minister, on the urgent need to improve stroke care across Scotland.

“Everyone should have the same chance of survival and recovery, with rapid treatment and the rehabilitation and long-term support needed to rebuild their lives.

“We remain committed to our work with the Scottish Government, the NHS and partners to make this a reality, and ensure that no life is half-lived.”