Member's statement: World Thrombectomy Day
Member's statement by Miss Nuala McAllister on .
- MLA
- Miss Nuala McAllister
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 13 May 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- World Thrombectomy Day
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4947473
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise today as the chair of the all-party group on stroke to highlight World Thrombectomy Day, which takes place tomorrow, Wednesday 14 May. For those who are unaware, thrombectomy is a mechanical procedure that, if carried out on eligible stroke survivors in a timely manner, saves brains by significantly reducing the chance of disability, such as paralysis, visual impairment and communication difficulties after stroke. It saves money, as each patient who receives a thrombectomy ultimately saves the health service an average of £47,000 over five years. It also changes lives, as a quarter of patients who receive a thrombectomy experience reduced disability, while a fifth achieve functional independence. Thanks to the efforts of hard-working stroke teams, Northern Ireland has a relatively well-developed thrombectomy service compared with the rest of the UK. Despite that, only 6·4% of patients receive a thrombectomy, meaning that we fall short of ensuring that every eligible patient, which is thought to be at least 10% of stroke patients, can benefit from that life-changing treatment. The only way to ensure that every eligible stroke patient receives a thrombectomy is by providing a 24/7 service. In the stroke action plan published in June 2022 the Department of Health committed to delivering a 24/7 service for Northern Ireland by the end of 2024. However, it was not achieved. The delay is unacceptable and will lead to more serious disabilities and, in some cases, death. Last year, it was estimated that approximately 100 people in Northern Ireland missed out on a thrombectomy. Some of their stories have been brilliantly captured by a local film-maker, Harry Bateman, in his documentary, 'Thrombectomy: Restoring Life'. I urge Members to take 20 minutes to watch it via the Stroke Association website. In the documentary, Harry outlines the journey that he and his family have been on since his dad suffered a stroke in 2019. I also thank the Stroke Association and the secretariat of the all-party group on stroke for their continued work to campaign and raise awareness of the significant impact that a 24/7 thrombectomy service could have for stroke patients.
349 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.95).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.95 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.84 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.16 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:33 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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