Sydney commuters on the F.A.S.T track to stroke awareness

The daily commute for thousands of Sydney residents will take on board an educational message from today, encouraging people to think F.A.S.T 

The life-saving message will be featured at 29 of Sydney’s busiest train stations, outlining the most common signs of stroke: Facial droop, an inability to lift your Arms, and slurred Speech.

It comes after Stroke Foundation’s annual survey last year found a startling 48 per cent of Sydney residents and 29 per cent of regional New South Wales residents do not recognise a single sign of stroke, and therefore may not call for an ambulance quickly enough to get urgent medical care. 

Stroke Foundation New South Wales State Manager Rhian Paton-Kelly says targeting a large group of people is an important way to spread awareness more broadly.

“We know hundreds of thousands of people use Sydney’s rail network every day and this is a crucial way for us to reach people of all ages and backgrounds and educate them on the F.A.S.T signs of stroke. It is a simple message that can save lives.”

The educational campaign is part of a partnership between Stroke Foundation and the New South Wales Government, which has included the rollout of Telestroke services to 23 hospitals across regional New South Wales.

Most of the 23 rural and regional hospitals earmarked for the new service are now up and running and  Ms Paton-Kelly says this will  lead to faster diagnoses and improved outcomes for stroke patients.

“Getting to hospital quickly is crucial to ensuring better outcomes when a stroke strikes. This means recognising the F.A.S.T. signs and calling triple zero immediately. It is important everyone learns that message and shares it with friends, family, and colleagues.”

More information on the NSW Telestroke Service can be found here:
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/virtualcare/Pages/telestroke.aspx

Other F.A.S.T resources:

Learn the F.A.S.T signs of stroke

F.A.S.T signs of stroke animation

Translations of F.A.S.T into eight other languages