Canberrans are still missing out on a lifesaving stroke service despite the government promising to spend $5 million to deliver it at the last election.
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For patients deemed eligible it can greatly improve their chance of survival and independent living.
But the service - which is time critical - is currently only offered during business hours and there is no clear pathway for patients to be treated interstate.
It means patients who arrive at Canberra Hospital outside of business hours, or during periods of specialist leave, simply do not have access to the treatment meaning scores have missed out.
Clinicians have told The Canberra Times a number of Canberra patients have suffered more serious disabilities or died because of the lack of service.
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The Stroke Foundation said the service should be available to all patients, regardless of where they live or what time of the day it is.
The government pledged to spend at least $1.2 million a year until 2020 to deliver the service, but has so far only spent a fraction of the allocated yearly funds.
According to government figures, in 2016/17 it spent $45,000, 2017/18 $268,000 and 2018/19 so far $375,000.
Canberra Health Services said just one patient had been transferred to Sydney to receive the treatment since 2016 when the treatment became available in the ACT.
Canberra Hospital started the service in 2016 with two specialists who were already employed at the hospital.
One more clinician is due to start doing the treatment in February upon return from overseas study to upskill but it is not anticipated 24 hour treatment will be available then.
Deputy director Chris Bone said the money spent so far had led to an increase in staff to offer more timely assessments for clot break-down treatments at Canberra and Calvary Hospitals.
But he said based on the population and prevalence of stroke in the ACT, no more specialists could be put on the roster as they need to undertake a minimum number of procedures each year in order to keep their college accreditation.
"We are however currently exploring an interstate partnership in order to offer a 24-hour service and cover periods of leave and study. This may involve specialists from interstate working in Canberra at times," he said.
"I am meeting with potential partners to discuss how this partnership could progress [this month]."
Since 2016, 46 clot retrieval procedures have been performed at Canberra Hospital.
It is a highly effective treatment that reduces the occurrence of disability and death after certain strokes involving a brain blockage.
The ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are the only jurisdictions where a 24 hour service is not available, according to the Stroke foundation.
The Stroke Foundation's clinical council chair Professor Bruce Campbell said the treatment was standard best practice for Australian stroke patients and hospitals without the capacity to offer it 24 hours should be able to rapidly transfer patients.
He said all patients needed and deserved access to the life-saving treatment which saves lives and improves outcomes.
"Where hospitals have large numbers of stroke admissions, endovascular thrombectomy should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said.
"Where it cannot be available, treatment pathways must be put in place to ensure patients in need of this time-critical treatment can be rapidly transferred to achieve timely access."
Endovascular clot retrieval became standard treatment for appropriate Australian stroke patients with the release of the Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management in September 2017.
