Former Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth lost some sight in one eye and some movement in left arm after a stroke.
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A former Labour frontbencher is urging people to learn the warning signs of a stroke after he suffered a major stroke on New Year's Day.
Jon Ashworth, former MP for Leicester South, was left with stiffness in his left arm, and a loss of sight in his left eye after suffering an ischemic stroke.
The Stroke Association says that someone in the UK will have a stroke every three and a half minutes by 2035 without urgent action.
“I had a blood clot that was restricting blood and oxygen getting to my brain. What caused my stroke was really high blood pressure. I never knew I was living with such high blood pressure,” Mr Ashworth told the Mirror.
“When I got the message from the local GP saying you need to come in for your health check, I was like ‘I’m too busy’ and kept putting it off. My message to your readers is to make sure you are keeping your blood pressure under control.”
Mr Ashworth is now advocating for greater awareness around strokes, expanded blood pressure support, and for people to take their blood pressure checks more seriously.
He said: “We need to really expand access to blood pressure support so that people can get their checks and that people can take their blood pressure seriously.
“In the NHS itself, we need 24/7 access across all stroke sites for a procedure called thrombectomy [which removes blood clots from blocked arteries and veins].
"We need to see the investment in stroke services helping people get their blood pressure checked and making sure that the rehab needed is properly supported as well.”
Mr Ashworth has praised the NHS for the treatment he received, and criticised Nigel Farage’s healthcare plans, should Reform UK come to power.
He said: “Nigel Farage has spoken about a social insurance-based model where they would check your purse before your pulse. Are we really going to go down the road where healthcare becomes financially ruinous?”
