AAA Display options

The new force combining Age Concern Wales logo & Help the Aged in Wales logo

Recognising symptoms of a Stroke

The FAST test

The first signs of a stroke can be very sudden. Applying the FAST test can indicate whether the symptoms you are observing suggest the person is having a stroke or TIA:

Face. Has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?
Arms. Can they raise both arms and keep them there
Speech. Is their speech slurred?
Time. Time to call 999 if you see any single one of these signs.

Ambulance staff are trained to assess people with a suspected stroke and get them to an appropriate hospital for tests and urgent treatment. The sooner you receive appropriate treatment, the better your chances of a good recovery.

We are grateful for the generous support of Dr Naim Dangoor OBE
and the Exilarch Foundation

Your Age Cymru

Set your location to see what Age Cymru offers in your local area.

Age UK Advice:
0800 169 6565
Happy people laughing outside

Keep up to date

The best way to keep in touch with everything we're doing here is to sign up for our email newsletter

Useful websites

  • The NHS Direct website lets you learn more about your health through its A-Z encyclopaedia, and you can also search in your own time for local NHS services such as dentists, pharmacies or support groups in your area.

  • The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on the early assessment and treatment of NHS patients

  • DirectGov provides information on more than 100 topics covering all aspects of healthy living and advice on coping with long-term health conditions as well as the NHS and health services

Close window
Display options

Set the appearance of this website so you can read it more easily

Text size

Background/foreground


To see information relating to England, Northern Ireland or Scotland set your preference below: