In the European Union (EU) stroke is the second most common cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability. As populations continue to grow and live to an older age, stroke and the long-term sequelae, along with the corresponding costs, are expected to increase dramatically (The Stroke Alliance for Europe, 2020; Bennett et al., 2014). Treatment for stroke has advanced greatly since the 1990s, and there is strong evidence that stroke unit care with multidisciplinary team input will reduce disability and mortality and will benefit all patients with a stroke. Patients with ischaemic stroke who present early after symptom onset will benefit from emergency treatments such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2015).