The “FAST” campaign was set up to raise awareness of the signs of a stroke and the importance of acting immediately to prevent long lasting damage, and NHS Norfolk and Waveney wants people to remember the message and act “FAST” in 2012.

“FAST” stands for Face, Arm, Speech, Time to call 999:

The TV advert shows stroke ‘spreading like fire in the brain’. It shows how the sooner you get to emergency treatment and ‘put the fire out’, the less damage is caused to the brain and the better the person’s chances of surviving and minimising long-term disability.

Stroke is the loss of brain function due to a clot or bleed in the brain. Each year 110,000 people in England and Wales have their first stroke. It is the single biggest cause of severe disability and the third most common cause of death in the UK.

Dr Alistair Lipp, Medical Director of NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said: “It is essential that people are aware of the dangers of stroke and can spot the symptoms quickly. The faster you react, the less damage is done to the brain and the better the patient’s chance of surviving.”

If you would like to find out more information about how NHS Norfolk and Waveney is supporting the care of stroke patients visit www.norfolk.nhs.uk/stroke

For more details about the FAST campaign, visit www.nhs.uk/actfast