Nearly half of stroke survivors in Edinburgh feel 'abandoned' by care services during lockdown

Shielding at home in Gilmerton Mr Middlemass said the 'loneliness' is the hardest part

Stroke survivors have been left facing barriers to their physical and mental recovery due to a lack of treatment through lockdown claims The Stroke Association.

The first report into the effects of Covid-19 on stroke survivors, published this month, found that six in ten have received less support from health and care services than usual to help with their recovery.

The Stroke Association’s research also found that 43 per cent have felt less able to cope with the impacts of their stroke, with a third saying they feel “abandoned during lockdown.”

Tom Middlemass suffered a stroke five years ago and has been shielding with his wife Joanne and their 15-year-old twin daughters at home in Gilmerton since April.

The 57-year-old father retired early due to his health and now volunteers in a buddying service helping others who have suffered strokes.

He said: “A lot of people I know who have had a stroke recently and are still in the early stages of recovering are scared that they are not getting the same attention because all of the attention is on coronavirus.

“I know a man who had a stroke recently and left the hospital within two days with no support put in place.”Mr Middlemass went on to say that his experience of stroke recovery was very different to what people are facing now.

He said: “When I had my stroke I was in the hospital for ten days and when I left I had a nurse visiting me at home and a 12-week recovery programme.“But now the recovery is all done over the phone, even the nurses and doctors won’t come into your home. You’re just left alone to get on with it, it’s a very different experience.”

President of the British Association of Stroke Physicians, Professor Rustam Salman said that the changes to stroke care will make individuals’ recovery harder.

He said: “During the pandemic there were significant changes to the way stroke services run, as we’d all expect.

“The reduction in both the quantity and quality of rehabilitation available for stroke survivors will make recovery harder, wasting a stroke survivor’s potential and in some may cause another stroke, which could end up being fatal.”

Recovering from the physical impact of a stroke is only half the battle and Mr Middlemass said he finds the mental side of recovery more challenging but there is little support for this through the pandemic.

He said: “Before lockdown I used to go to a peer group once a month with other stroke survivors. For me, the main difficulty is the mental side of it.“But now I don’t get any help for my mental health and I feel very alone.”

Mr Middlemass’ experience of lockdown is not uncommon with over two-thirds of stroke survivors in Scotland reported feeling more anxious or depressed during the pandemic.

And a staggering 72 per cent have said they have felt more worried about what their future holds since having to shield.

Mr Middlemass said: “It’s just the loneliness of shielding that gets me, my wife Joanne was on the couch for four months when I was shielding. I would only go out of the room for dinner and it’s a long time to be sleeping on your own when you are used to having someone with you.”

In response to this report, The Stroke Association has called for immediate actions from the Scottish Government to stem a ‘rising tide’ of demand on the health and care services that could ‘take years to solve’ if left unchecked.

Director Scotland of the Stroke Association Andrea Cail said: “Strokes didn’t stop happening because of the pandemic, but some treatments became unavailable, making lockdown even tougher for those living with the debilitating effects of stroke.

“This report uncovers a lack of access to treatment across the whole pathway from acute treatment through to rehabilitation and long term support. We are urging the Scottish Government to act now.”

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