Overview

• SSNAP data show 26.8% of stroke patients, or 23,491 people, self-transported to hospital in 2024/25, the highest level recorded.
• The proportion has risen steadily from 19.4% in 2020/21 according to the national stroke audit.
• The Stroke Association urges people with stroke symptoms to call 999 and wait for an ambulance so paramedics can begin care and route directly to specialist stroke hubs for rapid scans and thrombectomy.
• In July, category 2 ambulance responses averaged 28 minutes 40 seconds, meeting the 30‑minute target, while handover times have fallen but remain above the 15‑minute goal.
• Reports of long waits have fueled self-transport, and the charity warns annual stroke cases could increase by about 50% to 151,000 by 2035.