20 years of improvement in stroke care: the rewards from finally funding more research

Substantial improvements have taken place in the outcomes of patients with cerebrovascular disease since the beginning of the 21st century. These improvements are mainly due to the rapid translation of clinical research findings into service provision, including the roll-out of urgent assessment and treatment of patients with suspected transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke, and the swift provision of thrombectomy for those with major ischaemic stroke.