Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week is National Stroke Week, and the Stroke Foundation is calling on all of us to raise awareness of the common signs of stroke. Last year there were 27,428 Australians who experienced stroke for the first time in their lives. This equates to an Australian having a stroke every 19 minutes. Stroke is one of the biggest killers of Australians. It kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer. On average, 24 people die every day due to a stroke.

Anyone, at any age, can have a stroke, and a stroke is always a medical emergency. The longer a stroke remains untreated, the greater the chance of stroke related damage. If we recognise the signs early and get urgent medical help then lives will be saved and permanent damage avoided. Recognising the signs of stroke is covered by the acronym f-a-s-t: FAST. 'F' is for face. Check their face. Has their mouth dropped? 'A' is for arms. Can they lift both arms? 'S' is for speech. Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? 'T' is for time. Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call triple 0 straightaway. In the words of the Stroke Foundation, it's important to 'think f-a-s-t' and 'act FAST'.