This Stroke Awareness Month, Jane-Claire Judson of CHSS shares the success of the latest F.A.S.T stroke awareness campaign
Stroke is one of Scotland’s biggest killers, and the leading cause of adult disability in Scotland.
In a landscape where early intervention could make a life-changing difference, our health education and awareness efforts have never been more vital. Each year in Scotland, around 11,000 people will have a stroke. Stroke can strike anyone at any time, and often with little warning.
When someone has a stroke, getting them medical help as quickly as possible is essential, and can mean the difference between life and death.
Act F.A.S.T
On World Stroke Day 2024, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland launched a new F.A.S.T stroke awareness campaign to the people of Scotland. The campaign, which will run until 2028, is aimed at raising awareness of common signs of stroke and the importance of acting F.A.S.T when getting help.
F.A.S.T. is a mnemonic that stands for F – Face A - Arm S – Speech T – Time. It describes three of the common signs of stroke and highlights the importance of acting quickly to call emergency services. It is recognised approach by the National Clinical Guideline for Stroke.
Working in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service and supported by Lane Agency, we debuted our F.A.S.T campaign across TV, social media, in railway stations, libraries, hospitals, football stadiums and GP surgeries with the aim of reaching as many people as possible with the F.A.S.T message.
The Lane Agency worked with Scottish Ambulance Service call handlers to create a campaign brought to life by the alarming reality of those seeking help for themselves or a family member experiencing stroke.
Raising Awareness to Save Lives
Pre-campaign polling carried out by YouGov revealed that 39% of adults in Scotland were not familiar with F.A.S.T. This number rose significantly for younger adults (age 18-24) of whom 53% were not familiar with F.A.S.T. These results, coupled with the gap in public health messaging around stroke, highlighted the need for a refreshed and reimagined F.A.S.T campaign for the people of Scotland.
In December 2024 following our campaign launch, we repeated the YouGov polling. This revealed that awareness of F.A.S.T amongst Scottish adults aged 18+ increased from 62% pre-campaign launch to 68% post-campaign launch.
The launch of our F.A.S.T campaign had a simple aim - to empower the Scottish public to act quickly and confidently if they think they or someone around them is experiencing stroke. Acting F.A.S.T. could save your life or the life of someone you love. The results so far show that this campaign is working, and we’re just getting started.
To learn more about Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s F.A.S.T campaign visit www.chss.org.uk/fast
Jane-Claire Judson is chief executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.
