A grandmother who credits her "miracle" recovery from a massive stroke on her birthday to a clinical trial of intensive physiotherapy has called for all patients to get the same opportunity.

Veronica Murphy, from Newmains in North Lanarkshire, was having brunch with her daughter in a local cafe to celebrate turning 70 in December last year when she was suddenly struck by the brain haemorrhage.

"My celebrations were cut short," said Mrs Murphy.

"I just remember Jacqueline saying 'Mum, what's wrong with you? - you're acting funny'. That's all I can remember.

"I stopped speaking and I was turning my head away from her.

"She's a nurse so she realised that I was taking a stroke."

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Mrs Murphy - who is married with three children and seven grandchildren - was rushed by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where brain scans confirmed the damage.

By the time she arrived at the hospital the right side of her body was paralysed and she was unable to speak or swallow.

She said: "I was very poorly, and don’t remember much. The doctors couldn’t say what kind of recovery I was going to make, and it must have been hard for my family."

Mrs Murphy was later transferred to University Hospital Wishaw, which is currently working with researchers to trial a specialist stroke rehabilitation hub.

The study - the first of its kind to take place in a hospital setting in the UK - is evaluating what happens to stroke survivors' outcomes if they can access hours of intensive therapy every day.

UK guidelines, updated in 2023, recommend three hours of rehab per day but shortages of experts such as physiotherapists mean that survivors are averaging just 14 minutes a day.

The "technology-enriched rehabilitation hub" (TERH) at Wishaw includes virtual reality treadmills, power-assisted equipment, balance trainers and upper limb training systems, as well as puzzles and problem-solving activities, designed to boost both cognitive and motor functions.

When Mrs Murphy first arrived at Wishaw she was still unable to get out of bed unaided, requiring nurses to hoist her into a wheelchair.

The Herald: The grandmother of seven said she feels 'so fortunate' to have taken part in the clinical trialThe grandmother of seven said she feels 'so fortunate' to have taken part in the clinical trial (Image: Gordon Terris/Herald&Times)

However, she came on "leap and bounds" after being enrolled on the trial, which enabled her to access the hospital gym for up to two hours a day.

She said: "One day I couldn't move my hand at all, and then I wiggled a finger, then I started moving and couple of fingers, then I was waving to my family, and the next day I was lifting my leg right up.

"They were flabbergasted. From then on there was no stopping me."

Mrs Murphy learned how to stand and walk again, and by mid-February she was well enough to be discharged from hospital.

She has continued her recovery at home with regular visits from her allocated physiotherapist, occupational therapist and community nurse, and now regularly attends outpatient physio in the community.

She can climb the stairs again, make a meal, walk unaided, and recently collected her four-year-old grandson from nursery.

"I'm a miracle - I'm so very fortunate. Everyone should be getting this," she said.

Her grandchildren have raised £2,500 for the Stroke Association and later this week the charity will pick up a cheque for £2,200 from St Brigid's Primary in Newmains where Mrs Murphy worked as a school auxiliary for 32 years.

The Herald: Mrs Murphy, from Newmains, was discharged from University Hospital Wishaw in mid-FebruaryMrs Murphy, from Newmains, was discharged from University Hospital Wishaw in mid-February

John Watson, associate director for Scotland the Stroke Association, said: "Veronica’s experience shows how access to good stroke rehabilitation can be life changing.

"Unfortunately, we hear too many stories of stroke survivors leaving hospital not knowing what happens next, or where to turn."

Mrs Murphy's recovery is being highlighted today as the charity publishes its 'Thriving after Stroke' report.

Around 10,000 people a year in Scotland are admitted to hospital following a stroke.

The Stroke Association says that "genuine progress" has been made over the past two years in developing national stroke policies in Scotland, including targets that all stroke survivors should get personalised rehabilitation plans and six-month progress reviews.

However, its report found that progress is "patchy" with only four health boards - Tayside, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, and Wester Isles - "consistently" delivering on six-month reviews.

Dr Matt Lambert, the national clinical lead for stroke and advisor to Scotland's chief medical officer, said: “What distinguishes stroke from other neurological conditions is the capacity for recovery.

"We know that getting the right support, in the right amounts, for as long as it is needed, makes all the difference.

“I want to see every stroke survivor resume their life with enhanced capacity, and with reduced need for ongoing support.

"This clearly benefits those who have had a stroke but also reduces their longer-term dependency on relatives, carers and health and social care services which benefits society more widely.”