Hugely successful Stroke Conference takes place at Tipperary hotel

A very large crowd attended the fourth Annual National Stroke Conference which took place at the Cashel Palace Hotel, Cashel, on Monday April 28.

Organised by the South Tipperary Stroke Communication Group, the Conference was officially opened by the Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Mr. Kieran O'Donnell, T.D. The Cashel Palace Ballroom was full of information stands, providing a range of insightful and pertinent advice from a range of service providers.

The Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr. Declan Burgess, welcomed the delegates and provided some very encouraging words for those attending, saying that it was a very important forum for discussion of matters related to stroke.

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My presentation to the Conference was titled 'We need to be Better'. I wanted to show the developments and the shortcomings in relation to stroke care and I used the opportunity to point out the areas where I felt that we needed to be better.

"In 2023, stroke rates rose by 8%. That's not just a statistic - That's mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends — lives forever changed in an instant. This rise confirms what has long been warned; the rapid increase in stroke, driven by our ageing population and other demographic factors, is now underway. Unless we futureproof our services, unless we act now, our Emergency Departments and our stroke units will be inundated. The pressure will only grow — and with it, the human cost. We see the stats coming out of the Irish National Audit of Stroke, of which I am a member. While there is much to applaud about improvements in stroke care there is also much to do."

I went on to speak about the need for patients in hospitals with a stroke to be cared for in a dedicated stroke unit. I told the audience that I was speaking from experience in relation to this critical aspect of stroke care. "One of the most urgent changes we must make is ensuring that at least 90% of stroke patients are cared for in a dedicated stroke unit. We know — with overwhelming evidence — that stroke unit care dramatically improves survival, reduces disability, and gives people back their lives. But today, too many people still don't get that chance — simply because there aren’t enough beds, enough units, or enough resources. Minister, we are asking today for a clear commitment to expand stroke unit capacity across the country, so that every person who suffers a stroke can receive the specialist care they deserve. And we must not wait for strokes to happen before we act. Prevention is critical."

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I also called on the Minister to support a national programme of AF screening for those over 65 — because prevention is better, and far cheaper, than cure. Atrial Fibrillation (AF), is a common irregular heart rhythm and the cause of devastating strokes, and yet, many people with AF go undiagnosed and untreated. I urged the Minister to protect and extend funding for continuous public awareness campaigns like the Act F.A.S.T. campaign and for Blood Pressure Awareness. These campaigns must not be one-off but must be a permanent part of our national health strategy if we want to achieve better outcomes. Another aspect of my speech referred to the National Stroke Strategy.

"We already have a National Stroke Strategy — one that outlines the path towards better prevention, faster treatment, and stronger recovery supports. However of concern is the fact that funding delays have slowed its implementation. Good intentions without resources won't save lives. A strategy without funding is just words on paper. While I acknowledge the funding provided to the strategy to date and I am concerned that it is not in the Programme for Government. We ask you Minister, not just to support the National Stroke Strategy in principle, but to back it with the investment needed to turn promises into reality. We ask you today for a renewed commitment to the Strategy, because the need is urgent, and the time is now. We cannot afford for stroke care to slip down the list of priorities. We must be better" were my concluding words.
In his address to the Conference the Minister spoke about the improvements and developments in stroke care, and acknowledged that there was more to be done for stroke."

I am delighted to be here this morning, and when I received the invitation to open this Conference, I immediately accepted the invitation, as it is a very important event for stroke survivors, carers, family members and professionals. I have listened carefully to what Martin had to say and I can guarantee that I will come back to you on the points raised" said Minister O'Donnell. He went on to speak about the Government's commitment to the National Stroke Strategy. "The government is fully committed to supporting the National Stroke Strategy. Prior to Budget 2025, a total of €7.3m had been allocated to fund the National Stroke Strategy. Approval in 2023 enabled 11.5 WTEs to progress through recruitment to support the implementation of the strategy. In Budget 2025 the Government allocated €5.0m for the Strategy bringing the total funding allocated to date to €12.3m. This funding will support the expansion of early supported discharge teams and access to acute stroke units to support stroke services through the provision of additional consultants, psychologists and a range of health and social care professionals. The Government remains fully committed to supporting the strategy" said the Minister.

The Conference Programme had a great mix of professionals, stroke survivors and those demonstrating technological products. Professor Margaret O’Connor, Consultant in Geriatric and General Internal Medicine in the UL Hospitals Group and Nora Cunningham, RANP (Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner) in Acute Medicine in the UL Hospitals Group, gave a hugely informative presentation titled; Stroke: What is it and how is it prevented?. Sinéad Coleman, Programme Manager, National Clinical Programme for Stroke presented on the National Stroke Strategy - Implementation to date and next steps. Jim Bradley suffered a minor stroke in 2016. The stroke happened while he was asleep. He is the author of 2 books on stroke recovery. Jim gave a really excellent presentation titled 'Striking back at Stroke'.

The Conference enjoyed some beautiful singing, before and after the break, from Orla Duggan of the Rockwell Music Academy. After the break Dr. Helen Kelly, who is a state registered Speech and Language Therapist and lecturer in Speech and Hearing Sciences at University College Cork, presented on Co-designing a website to raise awareness of Aphasia and outlined the very successful Aphasia Home Cafés. This was followed by Dr. Arslan Sohail, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician, Naas General Hospital. Dr. Sohail is a former Consultant Geriatrician at South Tipperary General Hospital. His presentation was on Stroke Rehabilitation in a Regional Hospital...A Glance! Anna Curran from Galway, is a stroke survivor and patient advocate. She gave a very powerful account, sharing her story in order to shine a light on the invisible impact of stroke and the strength it takes to move forward.

Jean Maher, Interim Stroke Services Manager at the Irish Heart Foundation, presented on the IHF Stroke Connect Service. The final two presentations centred on technological products and developments. Joan Spaolonzi, from Belmont Medical Technologies Ltd., presented on Neuro protection-current and future developments.

Belmont Medical Technologies provides leading fluid management and patient temperature management solutions. Finally Fleming Medical, who are a family-owned provider of market-leading healthcare devices and consumables, presented on Empowering Stroke Prevention & Recovery Through Everyday Monitoring. During the morning we had an energiser from Siel Bleu, which was a great hit with the attendees!

Huge thanks must go to the main sponsors of the Conference; TASK Community Care and Dovida Ireland. The programmes that were available on the day were sponsored by Tipperary Volunteer Centre, who also looked after the AV requirements. Final word of thanks to the wonderful Cashel Palace Hotel, who went above and beyond to ensure that the Conference ran smoothly. Thank you to everyone that attended and here's to 2026!