22/11/2024
Face or Arm or Speech, at the first sign, it’s Time to call 999. Visit www.nhs.uk/ActFAST for more information.
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. Stroke symptoms might be less dramatic, painful or obvious than you might expect. Like not being able to raise your arm, struggling to smile, or slurred speech. Whether it is a friend, loved one or even a passer-by, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency, so call 999 immediately if you or someone else experiences a single symptom. Acting FAST on any sign of a stroke gives patients faster access to specialist treatment that could save their life.
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.
