On Saturday afternoon, as part of this season’s Dundee FC Supporters’ Society Community Initiatives, the NHS Tayside Stroke Managed Clinical Network will be at Dens Park to highlight their Stroke Awareness Campaign which encourages the public to think FAST.
The message is clear – be able to spot the signs of a stroke and act quickly. Calling 999 could save a life and limit damage to the brain.
Gail Smith, Lead Clinician for Tay
side Stroke Managed Clinical Network said, “In Tayside last year, over 940 people were admitted to hospital with a stroke, so it is vitally important that people recognise that stroke is a medical emergency. They need to know how to respond to the symptoms of stroke early to limit further injury to the brain and this is what the FAST campaign aims to do.
"Stroke is the greatest single cause of severe disability in Scotland and the third most common cause of death after heart disease and cancer. It claims the lives of one in eight women and one in ten men and leaves thousands more with some form of disability.”
The FAST campaign is coordinated by NHS Tayside’s Stroke Managed Clinical Network (MCN) in association with Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), and is supported by the Scottish Ambulance Service, Community Pharmacies, Angus, Dundee & Perth & Kinross Councils and volunteer stroke patients.
Gail and members of Tayside Stroke Managed Clinical Network will be at Dens on Saturday afternoon to promote the FAST campaign and distribute information, including the wallet sized cards, which carry the FAST signs of stroke – so we'd encourage all fans to pick one up on the day. Community pharmacists across Tayside are also distributing the wallet sized cards to people collecting their prescriptions and will be targeted at those people receiving statins, warfarin, digoxin, blood pressure tablets and aspirin.
Gail says “Stroke is not something that only happens to older people, of the 13,000 strokes that will happen throughout Scotland thi
s year, around 1000 will be people under the age of 55 and 100 of these will be under the age of 30. That’s why it’s so important that people across Tayside recognise the symptoms of stroke and know to act FAST by calling 999.”
Society Community Director Jacqui Robertson said “The FAST campaign is vital in highlighting to our fans that stroke awareness can literally be a life saver. Knowing the signs and acting quickly can easily make a huge difference to the outcome for anyone unfortunate enough to suffer from a stroke. This could happen to any one of us or affect those we love so I would urge everyone to take a moment to familiarise themselves with the signs. Who knows when you could make a difference? We are delighted to welcome the hard working staff from this important campaign to Dens on Saturday.”
For more information about Stroke, check out the CHSS website www.chss.org.uk or phone the advice line on 0845 077 6000.