Sherwood Forest Hospitals appeals for adults to check their blood pressure to reduce risk of stroke following Newark resident’s appearance on ITV

A hospital is appealing for adults to get their blood pressure checked following a man’s emotional message on national TV about the impact of strokes.

Paul Stansall, 72, of Newark, was recently on ITV Central, and talked about the impact having a stroke has had on him and his family.

Paul has spent more than two months at King’s Mill Hospital following his stroke, which happened when he was driving home from work.

He first realised he was suffering a stroke when he had a sudden difficulty operating his car’s gears.

The stroke caused him to lose the use of his legs and one of his arms, and has affected his cognitive abilities — which the 72-year-old said was “horrendous” and “frightening”.

He said: "I couldn't tell you my phone number, it's very frustrating.”

While Paul has come a long way in his recovery, he still has some way to go.

Paul’s TV appearance came on Stroke Prevention Day — and Sherwood Forest Hospitals, which manages Newark, King’s Mill and Mansfield Community hospitals, is appealing to adults of any age to get their blood pressure checked on a regular basis as high blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke.

It also encourged people to ‘Know Your Numbers’ — a camapign which aims to promote people knowing their blood pressure numbers in the same way they know their height and weight — in order to be able to take steps to reduce the chances of a stroke.

You can find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks at https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/pharmacies/find-a-pharmacy-that-offers-free-blood-pressure-checks/.

Lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, being more active, limting alcohol consumption, eating a healthy diet, reducing salt intake, and staying a healthy weight, can also help reduce the risk of stroke.