Throughout the partnership, Buzz Bingo will raise vital funds for the Stroke Association via special events and fundraising initiatives. This includes donating over £57,000 to fund a Support Line Officer over the next two years.
During the pandemic, stroke survivors were discharged from hospital much earlier than normal and returned home to varied levels of community-based support, sometimes none. NHSEI (NHS England and NHS Improvement) and the Stroke Association worked in partnership to co-design and deliver SA Connect, a telephone follow-up service for newly diagnosed stroke survivors, providing support in the immediate aftermath of stroke.
NHS clinical teams refer all new eligible stroke patients to SA Connect when they leave hospital, receiving a call from one of the Stroke Association’s trained Support Line Officers within two to three working days of being discharged.
“SA Connect has been useful for both patients and family for providing ongoing support when they leave hospital. It reassures hospital staff that patients won’t be alone and will be followed up.” NHS staff.
SA Connect provides reassurance for newly diagnosed stroke survivors and their loved ones, as well as essential information about the support available to help rebuild lives after stroke. Currently, due to local commissioning variations, only around 40% of the 100,000 newly diagnosed stroke survivors each year currently have access to essential Stroke Recovery Service support from the Stroke Association.
SA Connect aims to ensure that all stroke survivors have access to follow-up and long-term stroke support once they have left hospital.
Mark Fletcher, Head of Brand Communications at Buzz Bingo, said “We’re delighted to support this vital partnership between the Stroke Association and the NHS. We played a number of charity bingo games in recent years including “Lucky Stars” and “Go Go Bingo” and to see those games of bingo have such a positive impact is a testament to the generosity of our community of players and colleagues.”
