Act FAST

NHS England has unveiled a new multichannel campaign ‘Act FAST’, to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.

The NHS’ previous Act FAST campaign has been hugely successful in raising awareness of the symptoms of stroke and encouraging people to call 999 if they suspect a stroke. With the (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) acronym aiding symptom recall, many people report that they would call 999 if they experienced or witnessed a stroke. However, it has set an expectation that the symptoms are dramatic and obvious. The reality is that the signs of a stroke might not seem like much; like not being able to raise your arm, or struggling to smile, or slurring when you speak. But, even if it doesn’t seem like it, any sign of a stroke is always an emergency..

This new campaign by M&C Saatchi aims to increase the early presentation of strokes, leading to earlier treatment, and improved outcomes for patients, by encouraging people to act quickly on the first sign, whether that’s in their face, arm or speech.

The campaign depicts everyday situations, where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.

A 30-second film, directed by Tom Tagholm at Various Films, sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The spot emphasises that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”