A stroke survivor’s journey into helping improve stroke care and prevention

4 March

A Flintshire man whose life changed dramatically after suffering a stroke is helping shape a new research project aimed at improving post-stroke care and prevention.

Peter Hooper, 64, had been active and fit until he suffered the stroke on a Sunday morning in June 2020 at home in Cheshire. Peter said: “The stroke came completely out of the blue, as I was regularly running, swimming and cycling.

“I was incredibly lucky that my wife realised quickly I was having a stroke. I was taken straight to a major stroke centre and had a thrombectomy, where they removed a blood clot from my vein within a few hours of the stroke. I was back on my feet and walked out of hospital the following day.”

Peter became a public contributor to help improve stroke care in a study led by Dr Jonathan Hewitt, Specialty Lead for Stroke in Wales at Health and Care Research Wales and a member of the National Cardiovascular Research Network (NCRN), funded by Health and Care Research Wales.

The study, Evaluation of Risk Factor management Frailty and Outcomes post Stroke (ERFOS), utilises the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, also funded by Health and Care Research Wales. It aims to develop treatment plans, to ensure that stroke survivors are on the right treatment, at the right dose to help prevent further strokes and improve care.

While Peter physically recovered much more quickly than expected, the psychological and emotional impact of the stroke set in a few months later.

“It wasn't really until probably three or four months later that the impact of the stroke really kicked in. Concentration and fatigue issues made returning to work difficult, so I took early retirement and relocated from Cheshire to North Wales.”

Before his stroke, Peter had worked in universities in a variety of research support roles. He soon realised post-stroke that there were numerous opportunities to get involved in stroke research via the Stroke Association and Health and Care Research Wales.

Peter has since actively engaged in studies focused on stroke prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and mental health.

He said: “With my background in work and my experience of a stroke, I feel I have something useful to contribute to studies. I got involved in a few stroke research projects as a public or patient member of advisory groups, supporting the researchers.”

Stroke survivors are at an increased risk of having another stroke. Dr Hewitt said one in four will experience a second stroke within five years.

Dr Hewitt pointed out that existing guidelines do not provide specific recommendations for frail individuals. He said: “Older, frailer people are likely to have multiple conditions. This can lead to overtreatment, when sometimes a more holistic, individual patient approach is better for that person.

“Findings from the study will be useful for creating better treatment plans for stroke patients and their families and carers. It will also help us guide research to find new ways of caring for patients to prevent further strokes.”

The project is being conducted as a collaboration within the NCRN and between Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Innovation and Development, Swansea University’s College of Medicine, and Cardiff University’s School of Medicine.