Calls have been made for the NHS to give greater psychological support to stroke patients after a new report revealed that the emotional effects were as devastating as the physical ones.

Too many stroke survivors and their families are abandoned when they leave hospital and left without the support they need to help them cope, according to the Stroke Association.

A poll of 2,700 stroke survivors across the UK found that 41pc said they felt abandoned after leaving hospital.

Some 59pc admitted that they felt depressed and two thirds said they experienced anxiety as a direct result of their stroke.

But, despite this, more than half said they received no information or practical advice to help them cope with the emotional impact.

Strokes affect around 152,000 people in the UK every year and the brain damage caused by the condition means that they are the largest cause of adult disability in the UK.

As part of the Stroke Association’s report, Feeling Overwhelmed, more than 200 people from across the East of England were interviewed about their experiences.

While hospital care is rated highly, the emotional strain on survivors and their families when they return home is underestimated – and often overlooked by health and social care services, said the charity.