Even if it doesn’t seem like much, at the first sign of a stroke call 999
A stroke strikes every five minutes. Every year in the UK, there are around 100,000 strokes, causing 38,000 stroke-related deaths, and it is a leading cause of disability.
The first sign of a stroke might not seem serious. Like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak.
Stroke symptoms can be less dramatic, painful or obvious than you might expect. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency, so call 999 immediately if you or someone else experiences a single symptom.
A stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention as every minute is vital. Acting FAST on any sign of a stroke gives stroke patients quicker access to specialist treatment that can be life-saving and could reduce the long-term effects such as a disability.
Whether it is a friend, loved one or even a passer-by, dialling 999 quickly saves lives.
Face or Arm or Speech, at the first sign, it’s Time to call 999.
Visit www.nhs.uk/ActFAST for more information.
BSL (British Sign Language) users can make a BSL video relay call to 999 using the 999 BSL website or app. Visit 999BSL.co.uk
Text relay users can call 18000 to contact 999.
If you are a BSL user, deaf, have hearing loss or communication difficulties you can text 999 by registering your phone in advance. Visit
www.emergencysms.co.uk
- More than half (57%) of respondents believe you should have 2-3 symptoms of a stroke before needing to call 999 first – despite just one being a sign of a medical emergency
- Nearly a quarter of people (23%) would not call 999 immediately if they noticed someone experiencing a stroke – despite it being a medical emergency
- More than two thirds of people (67%) would not call 999 first if they noticed someone was suddenly struggling to smile, despite facial weakness being a key symptom of a stroke
- Almost half of people (49%) wouldn’t call 999[3] first if they noticed they suddenly couldn’t raise their arm, although it is a key symptom of a stroke
- Nearly four in 10 (39%) people wouldn’t call 999[3] first if someone they were with was suddenly slurring their speech, despite this being a key symptom of a stroke
- Over a quarter (26%) of people admitted they are not confident in recognising signs of a stroke
- Of those people who would not call 999 if they saw someone suddenly struggling to smile, unable to raise an arm or slurring when they spoke – more than half (56%) explained that it was because they felt unsure about what the symptoms would mean, how serious they are or whether they needed to dial 999
- This is all despite more than half (56%) of respondents having experience of a stroke personally or through someone they know
