World Stroke Day

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:09 pm on 29 October 2024.

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Photo of Jim Shannon Jim Shannon DUP, Strangford 7:09, 29 October 2024

I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate. She mentioned the age of 65, which is really important; in Northern Ireland, there are some 2,800 new strokes every year. While the majority of strokes affect people who are over the age of 65, they can strike at any age. Some 25% of people who have strokes are under the age of 65, so does the hon. Lady agree that we must get away from the notion that stroke awareness is only for older people, and that we must be very aware of the FAST signs—face, arms, speech and time—that can make the difference between death and recovery? It can happen to young people as well.