'Getting rid of the service is just awful' - Shropshire stroke survivors 'horrified' as council cuts funding for recovery service
Two Shropshire stroke survivors have called on Shropshire Council to reconsider cutting funding for a vital recovery service.
The Stroke Association has confirmed that cash-strapped Shropshire Council is cutting around £44,000 in funding to the charity, which is used to provide its Stroke Recovery Service (SRS) in the county.
The SRS offers personalised stroke recovery plans to survivors from day-one in hospital, and continues as they return to rebuild their lives at home.
Two Shropshire survivors, Chantal Whitting, 64, from Church Stretton, and Caroline Gallacher, 49 from Shrewsbury, have both urged the council to reconsider, detailing the “invaluable” support they received from the charity when they had strokes in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
Shropshire Council has told the Shropshire Star the decision was "not one we wanted to take by any stretch of the imagination", but pointed to its ongoing financial crisis as the reason behind the cut.
Chantal, has described her co-ordinator from the charity as her “angel” who supported her following strokes in 2023 that left her in a coma for two weeks.
She said: “I was so confused after my stroke. I had an operation to relieve pressure on my brain, then a shunt was inserted and then I had seizures and another stroke.
"When I came out of my coma, I had no idea what was going on and even weeks after I couldn’t make simple decisions - my brain was mush.”
Chantal went on to spend more than four months in hospital before returning home, during which time she met Glenda, her co-ordinator, from the Stroke Association.
She said: “Glenda from the Stroke Association was my angel – she had so much knowledge about stroke and I felt like she was the only person who truly understood the problems I was having like fatigue and side effects from my medication.
"She made everything sound more simple and less scary – I needed that."
Caroline Gallacher, 49, from Shrewsbury, has told how she felt ignored while in hospital and was at first given Aspirin and sent home - even though she had had a stroke, possibly caused by high blood pressure.
While on the surface Caroline looked ok, it was the effects on her speech, sight and cognitive function that have had a profound impact and made the support she received from the charity even more valuable.
She said: “All my senses have become very heightened, so I get overwhelmed very quickly. My hearing is super sensitive, as are smells, my vision is quite blurred too and I use a walking stick as I can stumble quite easily at times.
“I didn’t know any of this after a stroke – you can look at me and physically I look fine but there are no words to describe how strongly it has affected my brain.”
Like Chantal, Caroline also had support from Glenda from the Stroke Association.
Caroline said: “I describe Glenda as my cheerleader, she just seemed to get me straight away. With my speech and the way my brain was working, it knocks your confidence and it was hurtful that people sometimes thought I was lying! Glenda supported me with the practical and emotional effects of a stroke but also just brought a lot of positivity to me when I needed it most.”
Both Caroline, Chantal and members of the stroke community in the area, say they have been left horrified at the proposed cuts to the services that have supported them.
Chantal said: “Getting rid of the service is just awful, I can’t imagine it! Everyone at my stroke club was horrified when they heard too. It takes a long time to feel a bit better and to get things back after a stroke. Glenda and the charity gave me hope – you need that light at the end of the tunnel."
Caroline said: “It doesn’t make sense. I’ve been lucky to have an amazing husband and family to support me, but I still needed Glenda and the Stroke Association. I didn’t know what I needed after my stroke but Glenda and the charity did and that’s so appreciated and needed.”
Chantal and Caroline have both urged Shropshire Council to reconsider.
Chantal said: “The Stroke Association has been invaluable; I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. You come out of hospital, and you don’t know where to turn, that’s why we need Stroke Association services in the community. I really hope you reconsider stopping the funding”.
Caroline added: “I think it’s very sad that the area could lose the services. If you’re a person that doesn’t have support at all, where do you turn? We need the charity to be there for others who need the support at such a scary time."
Sarah Adderley, Associate Director (Midlands) at the Stroke Association said: “We are consistently told how valuable our stroke recovery services are for survivors like Caroline and Chantal. Every stroke is different and so is every recovery, so our coordinators offer personalised stroke recovery plans and help survivors navigate the practical and emotional impact of stroke.
“Unfortunately, we are expecting the number of people having a first or second stroke to increase to more than 151,000 a year by 2035. Currently, 280 people have a stroke every day in the UK, which is one person every five minutes.
“When you consider the physical and indeed, financial strain this will put on our already stretched NHS, it seems very short sighted to make cuts to such a valuable and affordable service.
“We are therefore pleading with all the key decision makers involved in this proposal, to reconsider cuts that could be hugely damaging to some of the most vulnerable people in Shropshire.”
The Stroke Association said it is in the process of contesting the decision, as the council and health leaders intend to wind down the services at the end of June.
Ruth Houghton, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, said the decision was not reflection of the "outstanding" work of the recovery service.
She said: "The decision to cease the grant funding of Shropshire Stroke Recovery Service is not one we wanted to take by any stretch of the imagination. Neither is that decision in any way a reflection on the hard work and commitment that Shropshire Stroke Recovery Service have shown residents for many years. If we could continue to fund this service, there is no doubt that we would.
"However, Shropshire Council’s ongoing financial situation is extremely challenging, and we have had to make (and will have to continue to make) difficult decisions. Sadly, in this instance, that means withdrawing grant funding to the Stroke Recovery Service. This grant is not statutory, and we have no legal obligation to provide it – although we would if possible. We would also be very willing to support Shropshire Stroke Recovery Service where possible to pursue other sources of funding.
"Once again, we recognise the outstanding work of Shropshire Stroke Recovery Service."
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