WE at The Stroke Association are delighted with the positive reaction to our campaign to urge the NHS to tackle more quickly the need for all stroke patients to have specialist care.

"Why Are We Waiting?" asks why stroke patients are regarded as lesser priority, despite the fact that a stroke causes a greater range of disabilities than any other condition.

A quarter of a million British people suffer with long-term disability due to strokes. Although each hospital in England is due to have a specialist stroke service by April, many hospitals will not have the capacity to treat all stroke patients in this way.

Please back our campaign and help us speak up for people affected by strokes. For more information, email campaigns@stroke.org.uk

Alternatively you can call 020 7566 1508 or write to us at the address below, quoting "Why Are We Waiting?"

Margaret Goose, Chief Executive

The Stroke Association

Stroke House, 240 City Road

London,EC1V 2PR

In response to our campaign the Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, last week stated that 94 per cent of hospitals will be on track to provide specialist stroke services by April 2004. This is indeed progress, but there is still a long way to go before all stroke patients get access to such services.