My Dad had a stroke on a Sunday. On a weekday, he might have lived

One moment, he was fine. The next, he couldn’t stand. He was vomiting, sweating, his eyes struggling to focus. His brain was shutting down in real time.

At first, stroke wasn’t suspected due to the lack of the ‘Fast’ – face, arms, speech and time – symptoms. An ambulance wasn’t initially dispatched. My Dad didn’t improve. Finally, an ambulance was sent. Again, stroke was not suspected. Though my family raised concerns, the system, focusing on Fast signs, did not respond as it should have.

My Dad spent five-and-a-half hours in Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Then a full-blown stroke struck, this time with clear Fast symptoms. When a scan confirmed a stroke caused by a blood clot, my Dad had to be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Why? Because, as the Significant Adverse Event Report (Saer) confirmed, thrombolysis at Glasgow Royal is only available between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

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Blood clot did not fully dissolve

Thrombolysis has been described by the NHS as the “clot-busting drug”. It “dissolves the clot, restoring blood supply to that part of the brain and reduces the amount of damage caused”. The NHS then explains that it “must be given within four-and-a-half hours of the onset of symptoms, and the sooner it is given, the more effective it is likely to be”.

It’s deeply concerning that this vital treatment remains unavailable at weekends in one of Scotland’s major hospitals, something I believe can and should be addressed. Thankfully, it is available on a 24/7 basis at the Queen Elizabeth.

My Dad finally received thrombolysis, but the blood clot did not fully dissolve. The next step in such a scenario is a thrombectomy: a surgical procedure where doctors physically remove the clot using a tiny device.

READ MORE: Treating strokes faster can save lives – Scotland gets funding cuts

A 17-hour wait

But when my Dad arrived at the Queen Elizabeth, a thrombectomy was not available. The Saer report stated that, on the date he had his stroke, “thrombectomies were only available to patients on the Hospital 2 site [the Queen Elizabeth], Monday to Friday 9am-5pm”.

My Dad waited 17 hours from the first 999 call to receive a thrombectomy because care wasn’t available 24/7. The NHS states that thrombectomy is “most effective when performed within six hours after stroke symptoms begin”.

This, therefore, begs the questions: Why is thrombectomy not available everywhere in Scotland on a 24/7 basis? Why is thrombolysis not available at one of Scotland’s major hospitals at the weekend?

Sadly, my Dad passed away. We will never know if he would have survived if he got the emergency stroke care on time. Whilst the pain of losing your Dad is always immeasurable, the ‘what if’ question adds extra weight, like an anchor, to the grief. It’s hard to move on when this simple, penetrating question keeps circling your mind.

Hard to justify

Knowing this pain, I don’t want others to go through it. That’s why I am campaigning to improve emergency stroke care in Scotland. If my Dad’s death can result in Scots having 24/7 access to life-saving treatment, then some good will come from the pain my family continues to experience.

Since my Dad’s death, thrombectomy services in Scotland have expanded slightly. In the best-equipped parts of Scotland, thrombectomy is only available between 8am and 8pm, with provision at the weekend still limited.

It’s hard to justify a situation where this lifesaving, time-sensitive treatment is simply unavailable for 12 hours each day, regardless of need. This doesn’t reflect what we expect from an emergency service. Stroke care must be available whenever it’s needed, not just part-time.

Last year, Scotland’s stroke charities highlighted that “Scotland trails Ukraine in thrombectomy procedures”, pointing to data showing that although around 1,000 people in Scotland qualified for a thrombectomy in 2023, just 153 received the treatment, meaning only one-in-seven stroke patients who needed it got it.

Let’s think about that. Imagine seven people in a waiting room, all needing the same life-saving treatment. Six of them will leave without it. If 1,000 Scots a year had a heart attack and only one in seven received the life-saving treatment in time, the front pages would be screaming.

If 1,000 Scots needed emergency surgery and only one in seven got it, parliament would demand action. So why hasn’t this changed yet for stroke patients? The NHS was founded on the principle of care at the point of need. Yet for many stroke victims in Scotland, that principle isn’t being met.

Cross-party support

This campaign isn’t about party politics. It’s about patients. It’s about fairness. It’s about life and death. Over the past year, our campaign for 24/7 thrombectomy has gained cross-party support, from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens. There is a rare political consensus. A chance for Scotland to lead, not fall further behind.

Now is the time for the Scottish Government to act, and with cross-party backing, I believe real progress is possible. I understand that 24/7 delivery can’t happen overnight. It will take more trained specialists, interventional radiologists, and better coordination across services. But the first step is political will.

I’m not asking for full delivery tomorrow. I’m asking for a commitment: that by the end of the next parliament, every Scot who needs a thrombectomy can get one: no matter the day or time.

In parts of England, 24/7 thrombectomy is already becoming the standard. Services are expanding in Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland must not lag behind. Your chances of surviving a stroke shouldn’t depend on where you live or what time it is.

Stroke doesn’t wait for office hours, and our emergency care shouldn’t either.