SUFFERING a stroke must be one of the worst things that can befall any beloved family member, whilst at the same time being traumatic for the rest of the family, as it is totally unpredictable as to whether the person concerned will make a full recovery.

Some years ago my dear mother was stricken by a stroke, which unfortunately she never recovered from, and it was by chance six months later that I happened to be listening to the radio where an Australian neurosurgeon was being interviewed concerning brain injuries and stroke care, with particular reference to treatment comparisons between British NHS and Australian hospitals.

He was complimentary about NHS stroke and brain injury rehabilitation therapy and aftercare, which he went on to say was on a comparable basis to that in Australia.

But he was very outspoken and scathing concerning the treatment given immediately after the brain has suffered concussive injury or a stroke.

He said the most obvious, cheap and simple procedure and common practice in Australia, was not used in our NHS, and he could not for the life of him understand why not.

He went on to say that after a brain injury which is due to concussion or stroke, the damage continues to be wrought after the initial injury owing to swelling of brain tissue in the affected area, where obviously it is further restricted in doing so by the skull.

Evidently, it is common practice in Australia to strap a medical ice pack to the affected area as soon as possible, thus mitigating brain swelling and thus further damage, which he said had been proved in a lot of cases that a much more invasive procedure of removing pieces of skull or drilling holes in the damaged area with the additional risk of infection, may not then be necessary.

All this happened in the days prior to the dedicated acute stroke units.

However, I have often wondered if the words of this neurosurgeon were ever heeded here, and if this very simple and cost effective treatment that he was very passionate about, would indeed make a significant difference by quite possibly making recovery more likely, and also bringing down the time to do so.

G A WOODWARD Nelson Street, Swindon