Green light for
repeat of successful
stroke awareness
campaign
The Minister of Health has
approved a national awareness
campaign for stroke based
around the stroke FAST check.
The campaign will begin on
Sunday 4 th June and run for
approximately three months. It
follows
the
extremely
successful national campaign
last year.
Once again the FAST mnemonic
will be promoted.
(Face
drooping,
Arm
weakness,
Speech slurred, Time to call
111). Promotion will be across
a number of channels, including
television, radio and online.
Although the primary audience
is all New Zealanders, there is a
special focus on Māori, Pacific
Island
and
Indo-Asian
communities.
Effective
thrombolysis
treatment depends on getting
the stroke patient to hospital
within a four-hour window.
The message is one of urgent
action. Any stroke is a medical
emergency and people should
call 111 rather than their
June 2017 L.O.G.I.C
doctor, family and friends, or
waiting for it to pass.
Calling 111 is the best means of
achieving a positive outcome. If
a stroke is identified by the
caller to 111, then an
ambulance or helicopter can be
dispatched to the location to
uplift the stroke patient, and
give them the best chance of
receiving
thrombolysis
in
hospital.
We know that FAST works. Last
year there was considerable
anecdotal evidence that the
advertising campaign was
reaching people, but also that it
was saving lives and improving
outcomes.
Several people came forward to
say they remembered the FAST
message when someone near
them had a stroke.
A Taranaki resident credited
know the FAST message with
saving her husband’s life when
he had a stroke in the middle of
the night. She told the Stroke
Foundation that had she not
known to call 111, her husband
would not have got to hospital
in time for urgent treatment.
In another case study, Staff at a
supermarket who had seen the
FAST advertisement recognised
that a customer was having a
stroke. Although she wanted to
leave, they kept her in the store
and dialled 111 – action which
resulted in a very positive
outcome.
The National campaign follows
successful and widespread use
of the FAST message overseas.
The Ministry of Health, Stroke
Foundation of New Zealand and
Health Promotion Agency are
partnering to deliver the
campaign and appreciate your
support with the campaign and
these important messages.
For further information on the
campaign or to register your
interest to support please
contact
Julia
Rout
on
[email protected].
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