England’s top doctor urges the public to call 999 at the first sign of a stroke
NHS England has launched the first major update to the ‘Act FAST’ campaign since 2009, as new data reveals that many stroke patients wait almost an hour and a half on average before making an emergency call.
The updated campaign urges the public to call 999 immediately if anyone experiences one of the three common stroke symptoms: difficulty smiling (Face), trouble raising an arm (Arms), or slurred speech (Speech).
Around 100,000 people are estimated to suffer a stroke each year in the UK, which occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Without prompt treatment, a stroke can lead to death or long-term disabilities such as paralysis, memory loss and communication problems. Strokes remain the fourth single leading cause of death in the UK, resulting in about 38,000 deaths each year.
An analysis of NHS data for 2023-24 indicated that among 41,327 patients with a recorded time of symptom onset, the average time from the first symptom to making a 999 call was 88 minutes.
Additionally, a poll of 2,001 adults in England revealed that 57 per cent of respondents believed you should have 2-3 symptoms of a stroke before calling 999, despite the fact that even one symptom is a sign of a medical emergency.
Nearly two thirds of respondents said they would not call 999 as their first course of action if they noticed someone was suddenly struggling to smile.
England’s top doctor is urging the public to call 999 even if the first sign of stroke doesn’t appear serious.
Dr David Hargroves, NHS national clinical director for stroke and consultant stroke physician, emphasised: “When someone has a stroke, it’s estimated they may lose around two million brain cells a minute, which is why rapid diagnosis and treatment is critical – the first sign of a stroke might not seem like much, but face or arm or speech, at the first sign it’s time to call 999 Read More….
