A Bradford stroke victim has made an emotional plea to health commissioners to improve communication and support for sufferers and their families.

Malcolm Robinson, 53, told the Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) governing body about his first-hand experiences of having three strokes, the first in August 2011.

Speaking from his electric wheelchair at the Carlisle Business Centre yesterday, he told the board about his journey from the first stroke to the present day.

Mr Robinson was rushed to Bradford Royal Infirmary and later transferred to St Luke’s Hospital after a stroke in 2011. Accompanied to the meeting by his wife Beccy, he said: “On the day I was supposed to be moving to St Luke’s to a specialised stroke ward I was ready at 9am when I was told I would be collected. I’d had no food because they said I’d be leaving then.

“I didn’t leave until 4pm. I couldn’t speak at this point, I couldn’t stand and I just couldn’t do anything. Then they dropped me into a ward, put my bag on the bed and put a cup of tea six feet away from me which I couldn’t reach.”

After Mr Robinson was released from hospital the couple were left frustrated by the poor co-ordination within organisations.

He said: “We found what was lacking was the support to enable my care to move from hospital to home. I didn’t receive benefits for six months and struggled to get a wheelchair. Where I think the system lacks is, when you suffer a stroke, the communications and support networks need to be there from day one so things are joined up.”

Mrs Robinson was forced to give up her career as a nurse and now cares for her husband full-time. Mr Robinson said: “I am lucky that Beccy is a nurse, but not everyone is in the same situation and we have to think about people who may be on their own, and change things.”

The couple agreed with the governing body to help draw up packages of care and improve communication between hospitals, GPs, the Stroke Association, social care and the Benefits Agency.

A spokesman for Bradford City CCG said: “Hearing first-hand about Malcolm and Beccy’s experiences of current services will help us to design integrated services to provide joined up care for people in Bradford.”