Don’t phone a friend – act FAST call 000 National Stroke Week 17-23 September

New research has found that more that half of people who have a stroke call a relative or friend first, rather than an ambulance, taking up valuable time that could improve their treatment and recovery from stroke – Australia’s second biggest killer.

To save lives from stroke, the National Stroke Foundation is launching an awareness campaign in National Stroke Week to urge Australians to call 000 immediately if they experience the signs of stroke or if they see the signs in someone else.

The research, conducted by the National Stroke Research Institute also found that the majority of the people called for advice chose to travel to the stroke patient’s home before an ambulance was called.

National Stroke Foundation CEO, Dr Erin Lalor, says that getting medical treatment immediately can make a huge difference to someone’s recovery.

“The campaign promotes a simple test for stroke that everybody should know. It’s called the FAST test,” she said.

FAST stands for

Facial weakness,
Arm weakness,
Speech difficulty,
Time to act.

Using the FAST test involves asking three simple questions:

Face – Can the person smile, have their mouth or eyes drooped?
Arms – Can the person raise both arms?
Speech – Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Time – Act FAST and call 000 immediately

Stroke is the second single biggest killer in Australia – with one occurring approximately every 10 minutes.