Health Story

04 July 2009 21:35 BST

£12m stroke awareness campaign announced

A new £12 million campaign to promote public awareness about stroke has been announced by the government today.

The campaign will be launched in February 2009 and will be supported by advertising, public relations and direct marketing communications.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the UK and the single largest cause of adult disability in England.

The Department of Health claims the new campaign will aim to teach the public and NHS staff to remember FAST - Face Arm Speech Time to call 999 - to help them recognise the symptoms of stroke and understand that prompt emergency treatment can reduce the risk of death and disability.

Health Minister, Ann Keen said, in a statement today: "As a former nurse, I know the NHS is rising to the challenges set out one year ago in the national stroke strategy by driving forward significant improvements in both emergency stroke services and long term rehabilitative care for people who have had a stroke.

"We want to build on this progress by helping the public to recognise the symptoms of stroke and dial 999 quickly.

"This campaign will give people a better understanding of stroke and the importance of fast treatment so that more lives can be saved and more long-term disabilities prevented."

Jon Barrick, chief executive of the Stroke Association, claimed that the government's awareness campaign was "vital".

"Better public understanding of stroke, its symptoms and treating it as a medical emergency will significantly improve the chances of recovery for the 150,000 people who have a stroke every year in the UK," he said.