On 2 February, in partnership with the Stroke Association, PHE relaunched the national Act FAST stroke campaign. The campaign runs until 31 March.  Act FAST aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of stroke and to encourage people who recognise any one of the symptoms, in themselves or others, to call 999.

The campaign encourages people to learn to think and Act F.A.S.T. to save their own life or that of someone else if they are having a stroke.

F.A.S.T. or Face-Arms-Speech-Time is easy to remember and helps with recognising a stroke.

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.

There are also other symptoms that may occassionally be due to stroke.  They include:

– Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes

– Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body (including your leg)

– Sudden memory loss or confusion

– Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other symptoms

Why Act F.A.S.T?

If you notice any single one of the signs of stroke, call 999. The faster you act, the better the chance of recovery. Read more at: www.nhs.uk/actfast