United States: The NHS is warning that people tend to call 999 an hour and a half after being struck down by a stroke, and are dying or being forced to live with lifelong disabilities because of it.
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If the public literally rang for an ambulance at the first sign of symptoms, claims health bosses, tens of thousands more victims could be saved or make a fuller recovery, as experts reported.
The first big update to NHS England’s ‘Act FAST’ stroke awareness campaign since 2009 has today been launched.
Most common symptoms
People are encouraged to grab a phone and call an ambulance immediately if they see one of the three most common symptoms: being unable to smile, being unable to lift an arm, or slurring words.
According to Professor Sir Stephen Powis, who is the national medical director at NHS England, taking fast action could “help save and protect many more lives.”
It comes, however, against the backdrop of slow ambulance response times as crews regularly fail to get to the scene in the eighteen-minute target.
In September, the average time taken for the ambulance service to respond to emergency calls for heart attacks and strokes was 36 minutes and 2 seconds, NHS figures show.
Stroke Occurences
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked – around a hundred thousand people a year are affected in the UK.
If a stroke isn’t treated promptly, death or long-lasting disabilities, including paralysis, memory loss, and inability to talk, may result.
Treatment and rapid diagnosis are ‘critical’ as stoke victims ‘can lose about 2 million brain cells a minute’, the NHS says, adding delays median to greater harm and hampered recovery.
Analysis of NHS data from Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme shows sufferers across the UK were calling 999 and 88 minutes on average after their first stroke symptom in 2023/24.
Its researchers at King’s College London looked at the medical records of 41,327 stroke patients for whom such data were entered.
According to Sir Stephen, “These figures highlight very clearly that we must do more to support people to recognize the symptoms of stroke in themselves and others and take action to call 999 at the earliest opportunity.”
“Stroke symptoms can be less obvious or dramatic than you might expect, but even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of stroke is always an emergency, and it’s vital you call 999 immediately,” he added.
“This campaign is so important. Greater awareness of the need to act fast and dial 999 could help save and protect many more lives, as we know that earlier recognition of symptoms and immediate action to call 999 can enable faster access to specialist treatment and the best chance of reducing long-term effects of a stroke,” as he continued.