Your support for our Thrombectomy for All campaign kept vital funding in place 30 March 2023 The threat was real. As the Scottish Government pondered huge cuts in its budget, funding for vital thrombectomy services across Scotland hung by a thread. Then you stepped up to the plate. Thousands of supporters like you joined with stroke survivors, health professionals and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland staff and volunteers in a whirlwind two-week campaign that ended with the Scottish Government reversing its initial decision and announcing it would reinstate thrombectomy funding. With more than 2,500 signatures in a matter of days on our Thrombectomy for All petition, it was clear there was huge support for maintaining the life-changing surgery that reduces the odds of disability from stroke. With your help, we won the argument by proving thrombectomy is not only lifesaving but cost-effective because it reduces the need for long-term care on the NHS. I’m just grateful I was able to have the treatment, and I think it’s something everyone should be able to get. Now we need to ensure the delivery of a nationwide thrombectomy service that could save up to 800 lives in Scotland every year. Thrombectomy for All will give more stroke patients the best chance of recovery and living life to the full. Patients like Marion Mitchell. The 72-year-old lives in Cowdenbeath, Fife, and suffered a stroke in January 2022. She underwent thrombectomy to remove a blood clot from her brain. Marion spent only four days in hospital and was then supported in her recovery and rehabilitation by CHSS stroke nurse Rhona Martin. She said: “I didn’t realise anything was wrong until my daughter Jackie said she thought I was having a stroke. I don’t remember anything until I woke up in hospital in Dundee. The doctor there was calling me miracle Marion because of the change in me after I’d been admitted. “I’m just grateful I was able to have the treatment, and I think it’s something everyone should be able to get.” Join our Campaigner Network now to get regular updates on Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland campaigns, opportunities to get involved and the impact of your support.