Stroke charity warns patients not to travel to hospital themselves despite ambulance delays

Long waits for ambulances have prompted a growing number of stroke patients to make their own way to hospital, but the Stroke Association warned that self-transport can reduce access to time-critical specialist care and worsen outcomes.

New analysis from the Stroke Association, using data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, found that in 2024/25 one stroke patient made their own way to accident and emergency every 22 minutes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Overall, 26.8% of stroke patients — about 23,491 people — reported arranging their own transport last year, the highest proportion since the audit began more than a decade ago.

The charity said arriving by ambulance increases the likelihood that patients will be taken directly to specialist stroke centres that can provide rapid assessment and treatments such as urgent brain scans and thrombectomy, a procedure to remove the clot causing an ischaemic stroke. Paramedics can also request scans before arrival and fast-track admission to an acute stroke unit, which has been shown to improve survival and recovery.

A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, and it is classed as a medical emergency. Certain treatments can reduce the risk of death and long-term disability if delivered promptly. The Stroke Association cautioned that travelling by private vehicle or taxi may delay diagnosis and limit access to specialist interventions that are time-dependent.

Professor Deb Lowe, medical director of the Stroke Association, urged people experiencing stroke symptoms to call 999 and wait for an ambulance. "Stroke is a medical emergency so anyone who is experiencing symptoms should call 999 and wait for an ambulance," she said. She reiterated support for the NHS FAST campaign, which highlights facial drooping, arm weakness and slurred speech as common stroke signs that should prompt an emergency call.

Professor Lowe acknowledged public concern about ambulance response times but said that in most cases an emergency vehicle remains "the fastest and most efficient way to get the best treatment and care for stroke." She highlighted technologies such as prehospital video triage that can help diagnose stroke en route to a specialist unit and said reaching the right place quickly can make the difference between a patient walking out of hospital or leaving in a wheelchair.

Ambulance performance figures cited by the charity show that in July the average response time for category 2 calls, which include suspected stroke, was 28 minutes and 40 seconds — within the current 30-minute target. The charity also noted that ambulance handover times, the period a patient waits in an ambulance before being transferred into hospital care, have been decreasing in recent months, though the average remains above the 15-minute target.

The proportion of stroke patients self-transporting has risen steadily in recent years; it was 19.4% in 2020/21. The Stroke Association warned that an ageing population will increase stroke demand: the charity expects the number of people having strokes each year to rise by 50% to 151,000 by 2035, heightening the need for rapid, coordinated care.

The charity said paramedics are trained to identify which hospitals have specialist stroke clinics and can convey patients to the most appropriate centre for time-sensitive treatments. It urged the public not to assume that self-transport will be quicker, especially when early interventions can substantially reduce long-term disability and mortality.

Health services have faced sustained pressure in recent years, and ambulance waits have been a source of public concern. The Stroke Association said it understands those worries but stressed that established emergency pathways and prehospital assessments remain central to delivering evidence-based stroke care. It called on patients, carers and bystanders to use 999 if they suspect a stroke and to follow clinical guidance while waiting for emergency responders.