Act F.A.S.T. campaign returns urging people to call 999 at any sign of a stroke

On 8 March 2021, Public Health England, supported by the Stroke Association, will relaunch the national “Act F.A.S.T.” stroke campaign.  There are more than 100,000 incidence of stroke each year in the UK, causing around 34,000 deaths. [1]

The latest data show a 12% drop in hospital attendances for stroke during the lockdown period of the pandemic, between March – April 2020[2]

With current national restrictions in place, there’s an even greater need to run this campaign activity to remind people of the symptoms and reinforce the importance of acting F.A.S.T. and calling 999 if you notice any single one of the signs in yourself or others.

The F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) acronym has featured in the advertising for a number of years and provides a memorable way of identifying the most common signs of a stroke, whilst emphasising 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’. 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.

Whether it is a friend, loved one or even a stranger, dialling 999 quickly and acting F.A.S.T saves lives and gives stroke patients their best chance at recovery and could reduce the long-term effects.

The campaign includes TV, video on demand, radio, social media and is supported by partnerships and PR.

_{[1] Stroke Association 2018: The State of the Nation www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/state_of_the_nation_2018.pdf}

_{[2] Kings College London, An insight into stroke care during COVID-19 webinar, Presentation slides}