A former mill worker is on a “miraculous” road to recovery after doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary shattered their record for the time taken to treat a stroke victim.

Dr Hawraman Ramadan, consultant neurologist at BRI, said the life-threatening 5cm clot in 70-year-old Keith Robertshaw's brain was the biggest he had ever seen.

But swift action meant doctors were able to give the retired wool sorter a clot-busting wonder drug just 22 minutes after he got through A&E’s doors - halving the national average of time taken at hospitals which are centres of excellence for treating strokes.

In that short time Mr Robertshaw, whose left-side was completely paralysed, was assessed, had blood tests, was given a CT scan, had the scan results analysed and was administered the drug. Less than 24 hours after he was hit by the stroke on Tuesday, his family said he was symptom-free and on an “amazing” road to recovery.

Mr Robertshaw’s son John Robertshaw contacted the Telegraph & Argus because he wanted to praise medics he said “performed a miracle” – he also included his mum Rita, 62, who got help quickly.

Mrs Robertshaw found her husband looking blank after he went to set the house alarm for a run out in the car.

Mr Robertshaw said: “When she didn’t hear the alarm bleep she went to check on dad and he was just stood there, completely blank. He’s never confused so she knew straight away he was having a stroke, she got him sat down and rang 999.”

In just 60 minutes from making that emergency call, he had been rushed to hospital from his home in Sandy Lane and been given the drug that BRI’s stroke team co-ordinator Ian Melvin said he desperately needed and that can only be given up to four and a half hours after the stroke.

John Robertshaw said: “It was like a military operation, it was precision all the way. Everything was just perfect timing, it went like clockwork. They performed a miracle. Dad had gone, he was just a shell of himself but they brought him back to us.”

Dr Ramadam said: “Time was of the essence, it’s crucial. For every minute wasted two million nerve cells in the brain die. There are three key parts to this story.

“First Mrs Robertshaw’s swift thinking, secondly the ambulance getting to him quickly and warning us he was coming in to A&E and then the A&E and stroke team working together and acting very fast.

“The national average at centres of excellence for strokes giving the treatment he got from us is 45 minutes but we did it in 22 minutes – we broke our own record and halved the national average and he got the drug he needed 61 minutes after the onslaught of his stroke at home.

“From a clot that size, the biggest I have seen in the thousands of CT scans I’ve looked at, I really did not expect this recovery. I’d warned the family to expect the worst.”

A follow-up CT scan showed the huge clot had dissolved and Mr Robertshaw could be back home today.

Dr Ramadan said: “We will keep any eye on him for a while, make sure his blood pressure is under control and advise him on a healthy lifestyle – then the ball is in his court.”

Joe Korner, of Stroke Association UK, said: “We’re delighted to hear that this patient has made such a speedy recovery from his stroke.”

A stoke can be diagnosed using FAST: l Facial weakness – has the person’s face drooped, usually down one side l Arm weakness – is the person able to lift both arms above their head l Speech problems – does the person’s speech sound slurred l Time to call 999 if one or more of these symptoms are present.