Strokewatch is an offshoot of the OK Stroke Club and both are run entirely by stroke survivors and some of their carers. It started life in 1998 as a campaigning group to raise public awareness about the lack of a specialist stroke unit in the area, and drew attention to medical evidence that strokes are less likely to cause death or long-term disability if patients are treated in a specialist unit.

Two years of persistent lobbying culminated in a petition to Parliament in July 2000. The campaigners' main objective was reached on 18th December 2000 when a new stroke unit opened at Hull Royal Infirmary. The Health Authority and Trusts - hospital, community and primary care - are now developing a comprehensive stroke service spanning agency and professional boundaries. The service aims to meet rehabilitation and long-term needs as well as providing assessment and treatment in the acute phase of stroke.

Under its former name, Hull & East Riding Stroke Survivors' Forum, the group has been regularly represented at planning and implementation meetings with the Health Authority and Trusts about the development of the new service. The new name, Strokewatch, marks a new phase in which the group will operate as a consultative and constructive watchdog body, keeping a close eye on the operation and quality of the new stroke service.

Strokewatch's vision expresses its priorities for the way stroke survivors should be treated:

¨ Every stroke is different

¨ The stroke service should be fully accessible to every stroke survivor, regardless of age or disability.

¨ The stroke service should encourage and assist the recovery of everybody who survives a stroke, regardless of age or disability, to their maximum potential.

Strokewatch communicates with stroke survivors, carers and professionals through its leaflets, quarterly newsletter and website. Its work has been supported by grants from the Lottery Commission and Hull CityVision. Strokewatch also receives valuable material assistance and advice from The Stroke Association. Supported by the Lottery Commission, we have completed the production of a user-friendly stroke survivors' handbook.

For further information please contact
Brian Archibald
Val Cobbett or
Dilys Page at strokesurvivors@hotmail.com