The NSW Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, has used Stroke Awareness Week to remind the community of the importance of a coordinated medical and community approach to a condition that occurs every six minutes in Australia.

Speaking today at a launch at NSW Parliament House organised by the Stroke Recovery Association, Mrs Skinner said public awareness of the effects and risk factors associated with stroke is poor.

“One in five people having their first-ever stroke dies within a month, and one in three dies within a year,” the Minister said. “In fact stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.”

As well as promoting community awareness of stroke and its effects on patients and carers, Stroke Awareness Week is an opportunity to recognise the dedicated clinicians specialising in stroke care, Mrs Skinner said.

Acknowledging the pivotal role that the NSW Stroke Recovery Association plays in supporting families dealing with stroke, Mrs Skinner noted the growing number of Stroke Recovery Clubs in metropolitan and rural New South Wales.

“Stroke Recovery Clubs do a fantastic job,” Mrs Skinner said. “The Association has just completed its fourth bi-annual survey into the network of 56 Stroke Recovery Clubs and the results show members’ satisfaction is overwhelmingly positive.”

Membership of the Stroke Recovery Association is around 1300, with 80 per cent of these attending Stroke Recovery Clubs on a regular basis.

“Stroke Recovery Clubs work closely with hospital stroke units, stroke coordinators and rehabilitation centres to assist people who have had a stroke continue their recovery when they return home and re-join their community,” Mrs Skinner said.

“And I’m told that all the activities of these clubs are organised and run by volunteers – another example of the vital role volunteering plays in the health care system.”

The NSW Government provides more than $121,000 in recurrent funding annually to the Stroke Recovery Association, which in November will celebrate 35 years of service to the state’s stroke community.

Metropolitan Stroke Recovery Clubs can be found at Ashfield, Auburn, Bankstown, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Carlingford, Crows Nest, Drummoyne, Fairfield, Forestville, Hornsby, Liverpool, Lower North Shore, Macarthur, Manly/Balgowlah, Mona Vale, North Shore, Rose Bay, St George and Sutherland.

In rural areas, they are at Bathurst/Orange, Batemans Bay, Belmont, Bowral, Broken Hill, Coalfields, Dubbo, Forster/Tuncurry, Grafton, Gunnedah, Hawkesbury/Richmond, Lismore, Muswellbrook, New England/Armidale, North Illawarra, Port Macquarie, Raymond Terrace, Scone, Singleton, South Wollongong, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Ulladulla, Wallsend, Wattanobbi, Westlakes, Woy Woy and Wyong.

MEDIA: Jenny Dennis 0420 319 573

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