New NHS campaign urges people to call 999 at first sign of stroke

Update of Act FAST made as data for England shows average time between first symptom and call is 88 minutes

Dialling 999 as soon as stroke symptoms occur is crucial to saving lives and preventing lasting damage, a new NHS England campaign is to stress as data reveals people wait almost an hour and a half on average before making an emergency call.

About 100,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. The potentially life-threatening condition occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off . Recent data suggests that the number could increase to 151,000 a year by 2035.