A charity said over 1,000 stroke victims here last year had taken themselves to A&E.
On Wednesday night, the Department of Health told the Belfast Telegraph it had reallocated £12m to speed up ambulance services, and it aims to end ambulance handovers exceeding two hours by December.
Stroke patients who seek help via 999 have a better chance of getting specialist help, the Stroke Association said.
The charity acknowledged people’s concerns about ambulance wait times, but said it is still the “fastest and most efficient way to get the best treatment and care for stroke”.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and it is classed as a medical emergency.
Certain treatments can reduce the risk of death and long-term disability if they are delivered in a timely way.
But new analysis from the Stroke Association shows that in Northern Ireland, over 40% of people who have a stroke are not arriving by ambulance.
In 2024-25, that worked out at 1,125 out of 2,777 patients.
A stroke patient makes their own way to A&E, instead of arriving by ambulance, every 22 minutes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Overall 26.8% of stroke patients across the UK — some 23,491 people — reported making their own arrangements to get to the hospital in 2024/25, according to the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme.
It is the highest number since the stroke audit began more than a decade ago.
The figure has been steadily rising over the last few years, standing at just 19.4% in 2020/21.
The Stroke Association urged people to call 999 rather than making their own way to A&E, saying this is the fastest way to get specialist stroke treatments.
Paramedics know which units are the best for emergency stroke care — which are not available at all hospitals, it added.
Ensuring patients get to these specialist hubs means they are more likely to get timely access to stroke treatments including a procedure to remove the blood clot causing the stroke, known as a thrombectomy, or fast-track brain scans — which can be requested before an ambulance even arrives at the hospital.
The charity highlighted how timely treatment is essential to increase the chances of a patient surviving a stroke and to minimise brain damage which can leave stroke survivors unable to move, see, speak or swallow.
Professor Deb Lowe, medical director of the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke is a medical emergency so anyone who is experiencing symptoms should call 999 and wait for an ambulance.
“We have long supported the NHS’s Fast campaign which highlights the most common symptoms of stroke — facial drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech — as that’s when it is time to call 999.
“Even with the undeniable pressures the NHS is experiencing, we stand firm on that advice as it is the best way to get rapid and evidence-based care.”
Stroke patients who seek help via 999 have a better chance of getting specialist help, the Stroke Association said
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The Department of Health said it is working with the NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) and Trusts to implement a regional ambulance handover protocol to improve handover delays to increase NIAS’s capacity to respond to emergency calls.
“Improving ambulance handover times is a key priority for the Department,” it said.
“Earlier this year, departmental officials, alongside clinicians from Trusts and NIAS visited a hospital in London to learn from their approach to releasing ambulances more quickly.
“Following that visit, Trusts and the Ambulance Service have been asked to adopt a similar model.
“To support this, £12m has been reallocated to Trusts from existing baselines, with the aim of implementing targeted interventions by October 2025.
“Additionally, the department, supported by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer, has endorsed the implementation of regional Ambulance Handover guidance, with the aim of eliminating handovers exceeding two hours by 1 December 2025, as part of plans to address winter pressures.”