10 Mar 2021
On 8 March 2021, Public Health England, supported by the Stroke Association, relaunched the national “Act F.A.S.T.” stroke campaign.
The campaign raises awareness for the signs of stroke and reinforces the importance of acting F.A.S.T. and calling 999 if they notice any single one of the signs in themselves or others.
The campaign is built around the ‘Act F.A.S.T.’ (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) acronym to highlight the key signs of stroke and emphasise the importance of acting quickly by calling 999:
Think and Act F.A.S.T.
- Face - has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?
- Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there?
- Speech – is their speech slurred?
- Time to call 999 if you see any single one of these signs of a stroke
When Stroke Strikes Act F.A.S.T. Call 999
A stroke is known as a ‘brain attack’. There are more than 100,000 incidence of stroke each year in the UK, causing around 34,000 deaths. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention as every minute is vital. That is why calling 999 is so crucial. An ambulance can give stroke patients those extra precious minutes, through faster and more specialist treatment via their knowledge of the nearest appropriate Hyper Acute Stroke Unit.