Stroke services in NI set for major shake-up

Northern Ireland could have between three and five hyper-acute stroke units in a radical shake-up of stroke services.

Currently, services are spread across 11 hospitals.

The proposal for the 24-hour specialist units was announced by the Department of Health on Tuesday.

It is central to reforms aimed at saving lives and reducing disability in Northern Ireland, where more than 1,000 people die from stroke annually.

Strokes occur when the blood supply to the brain is cut off. The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.