Stroke patients going to A&E themselves are ‘at higher risk’

A rising number of stroke victims are putting themselves at risk by taking themselves to A&E instead of waiting for an ambulance, a charity has warned.

It comes amid concerns about long waits for an ambulance.

But stroke patients who seek help via 999 have a better chance of getting specialist help, the Stroke Association said.

The charity acknowledged people’s concerns about ambulance wait times, but this is still the “fastest and most efficient way to get the best treatment and care for stroke”.

Certain treatments can reduce the risk of death and long-term disability if they are delivered in a timely way.

But new analysis from the Stroke Association shows that a stroke patient makes their own way to A&E, instead of arriving by ambulance, every 22 minutes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Overall 26.8% of stroke patients – some 23,491 people – reported making their own arrangements to get to the hospital in 2024/25, according to the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme.

The Stroke Association is encouraging people to call 999 rather than making their own way to A&E, saying this is the fastest way to get specialist stroke treatments.

Paramedics know which units are the best for emergency stroke care – which are not available at all hospitals, it added.

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Source: The Independent, 11 September 2025