Overview

• Audit data show 26.8% of stroke patients — 23,491 people — made their own way to hospital in 2024/25, up from 19.4% in 2020/21 and the highest since records began.
• The charity warns self‑transport can reduce access to stroke hubs, fast‑track brain scans and time‑critical treatments such as thrombectomy.
• Paramedics can triage suspected strokes, pre‑alert hospitals for imaging and take patients directly to specialist units not available at every hospital.
• In July, category 2 ambulance responses averaged 28 minutes 40 seconds within the 30‑minute NHS target, while handover waits have been falling but still exceed the 15‑minute standard.
• With the UK’s ageing population, annual strokes are projected to rise by 50% to 151,000 by 2035, increasing the urgency of rapid, specialist pathways.