The patients who should never take themselves to A&E

• A growing number of stroke victims are putting themselves at risk by travelling to A&E independently instead of waiting for an ambulance, a charity has warned.
• The Stroke Association states that calling 999 for an ambulance is still the fastest and most efficient way to receive specialist stroke treatment and care, despite concerns about wait times.
• New analysis reveals that 26.8 per cent of stroke patients in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland self-presented to hospital in 2024/25, the highest figure in over a decade.
• Paramedics are equipped to take patients to specialist stroke units, which offer critical, time-sensitive treatments like thrombectomy and fast-track brain scans, improving survival and recovery.
• Timely treatment is essential for stroke patients to minimise brain damage and improve outcomes, with ambulance response times for category 2 calls, including stroke, generally within targets.

IN FULL

Stroke patients going to A&E themselves are ‘at higher risk’