New stroke awareness TV adverts launched by government

The government has launched a new wave of TV adverts, which will air until March 24th 2013, as part of its hard-hitting stroke awareness initiative Act FAST.

As with previous commercials in the campaign, the ad is designed to help people understand the signs and symptoms of stroke and how to spot them at the earliest opportunity, allowing the sufferer to receive care quickly and minimise the chance of long-term damage.

It explains that people who spot signs of Facial drooping, Arm weakness and Speech problems should take Time to call 999 – making up the "FAST" acronym around which the campaign is centred.

According to the government, the NHS in England saw a 25 percent rise in stroke-related 999 calls and a 19 percent increase in stroke sufferers being seen quicker as a following a successful campaign last year.

Public health minister Anna Soubry said: "The Act FAST campaign continues to save lives and prevent disability by showing us that anyone can be a stroke saver just by making sure they know how to spot the signs."

According to NHS data, more than 150,000 people suffer a stroke in England, making it the third largest cause of death in the country.