Falkirk councillor looking for support for campaign following dad's stroke death

The sudden death of Tony Bundy – a fit, healthy 53-year-old – came as a huge shock to everyone who knew him. And for the family, including his son James – a councillor in Falkirk – the loss is still raw and painful.

But the grief that he and his family feel have compelled them to campaign for changes to public health messaging around the symptoms of strokes. And Cllr Bundy now hopes that Falkirk Council will get behind that campaign.

Tony died on June 29, in Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he had collapsed four days earlier, as he waited in a corridor to get treatment. Just days before that, he had also attended his GP, saying that he felt unwell.

Tony suffered a massive stroke – but the symptoms that he showed were not the classic ones that public health advice warns us to look for in the FAST messaging. There was no facial drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech.

They now know that the type of stroke that Tony had – a basilar artery ischaemic stroke – was at the base of his brain. Usually, a stroke happens on either side of the brain, leading to the familiar symptoms.

In James’ father’s case, the stroke at the base of his brain affected his breathing, heart rate and swallowing. His symptoms included dizziness, cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, slow speech and being unable to stand – but because he passed the ‘FAST’ test, a stroke was not considered.

Councillor Bundy said: “Ultimately, a public health campaign is meant to save lives and to give people information. If you are missing out key symptoms in a public health campaign, you’re going to have situations like my dad’s, where the stroke is missed, until it’s too late.

“The cruel irony of my dad’s situation is that by focusing on FAST, my father was prevented getting fast treatment.”

Mr Bundy now wants to see the FAST campaign being replaced with a new acronym, BE FAST, with ‘b’ standing for balance, ‘e’ standing for eyes and ‘t’ standing for throwing up rather than time.

It’s a message that is already used in many countries including many America states.

The councillor added: “You never know. I can’t say with certainty that with BE FAST my dad would have been alive, but I can say for certain that the chances of his being alive today would be higher.”

The Conservative councillor now hopes to secure cross-party support for a motion he will put to Falkirk Council next Wednesday, asking them to write to the Scottish Government urging a review of the current FAST campaign. It also wants Holyrood to commit to financing a public health awareness campaign to remind the public – and medical professionals – of all the symptoms of stroke.

As someone who has worked in Westminster and currently works in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Bundy understands how things work and that change can be slow to happen.

He already has the backing of his own party, including the Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross. This week, he will also meet with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar in a bid to gain his support.

The family has just launched a petition on the Scottish Parliament website urging the Scottish Government to commit to a review of the FAST stroke test. The motion to Falkirk Council, he hopes, will be another way to keep the issue in the minds of the ministers who will make the decision.

He understands that the government will need to consult closely with experts and look carefully at the evidence before making any recommendations. With any public health campaign, there has to be very clear, concise messaging and any change will not be made lightly.

But Mr Bundy thinks it is vital that the wider message does get through, to stop others having to cope with the loss his family are now facing.

He says he has been inspired by his mum and siblings, who have raised awareness of the lesser known stroke symptoms since Tony’s death.

“It’s very easy to be in grief when you lose a loved one. I think it says a lot about my mum’s attitude to try and make this change so that others aren’t in this situation,” he said.

As the family come to terms with their loss, they now look to each other for support. This year would have been a special wedding anniversary for James’ parents and a “significant birthday” for his mum.

It should have been a very happy few months. His father had already booked a surprise trip to Nashville to mark the joint celebration – now James and his sister Anthea will go with their mum instead.

James also celebrated a new chapter in his life recently with his engagement to girlfriend, Alix. At the hospital, although his dad never regained consciousness, James showed him the ring that he had chosen.

But as well as the big occasions, James feels his dad’s loss every day in many small ways and his influence remains strong.

“He wasn’t party political but he had a sense of doing right so if he saw something wrong in his judgement, he did something to correct it,” said James.

And while the motion comes directly from his own experience, he believes it speaks not just for him and his family but for many others who have been in touch with similar stories of their own.

“If a public health campaign is designed in a way that prevents them getting fast treatment, then that public health campaign is not good enough,” he said.