A HEALTH authority has announced plans to spend more than £300,000 on facilities for stroke survivors following a charity's report on stroke rehabilitation services.

The Stroke Association's Lost Without Words report was published on May 28.

It revealed each year in London, 100 out of 1,500 stroke survivors with a communication disability did not have sufficient access to rehabilitation services.

A spokesman for the Stroke Association said: "Aphasia is one of the most common disabilities following a stroke, affecting one's ability to speak and understand language."

He added: "Speech and language therapy plays a crucial part in rehabilitation, but of equal importance can be ongoing communication support, mainly in the form of conversation groups.

"Unfortunately, many people do not have access to this."

The Greenwich Primary Care Trust announced the launch of a new communication support service to help stroke survivors suffering from language disabilities on May 27.

A trust spokesman said: "The service, to be launched this autumn, will help stroke patients rebuild their confidence, improve their motivation and overcome their communication difficulties.

"It will be provided in people's homes and there will also be group work, so people who have had a stroke will learn how to socialise successfully again."

The trust will be investing more than £300,000 in support services provided by the Stroke Association over the next two years.

The charity has welcomed the trust's decision and is urging other health authorities, including the Lewisham Primary Care Trust, to follow suit.

Lewisham Primary Care Trust has promised to look at commissioning more specialised support services for stroke survivors.

A spokesman said: "Stroke support is important to us and it will continue to be a priority for the foreseeable future.

"While there is currently no specialist stroke rehabilitation team in Lewisham, we are undertaking a review due to be published at the end of August."

Tony Raper, 63, of Ringstead Road, Catford, survived a stroke in 2006.

He said: "I couldn't talk or even read. When I was out in a crowd words just sounded like nonsense so I couldn't work.

"Without therapy I don't know how I would have coped."