EVERY year thousands of people put themselves at risk by dismissing passing symptoms as ‘just a funny turn’, and are unaware that they are having a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) also known as mini-stroke.

At Wyre Forest CCG, we’re backing the Stroke Association’s Action on Stroke Month. Campaigns like this are important in raising awareness of stroke prevention and the significance of a TIA. Knowing the signs of a TIA and acting quickly on them can make all the difference to your future risk of having a stroke.

You’ll have seen the TV ad that shows the main signs and symptoms of a TIA can be identified by remembering the word FAST, which stands for Face-Arms-Speech-Time.

l Face – may have fallen on one side, the person may be unable to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped l Arms – may not be able to raise both arms and keep them there due to weakness or numbness in their arms l Speech – may have slurred speech l Time – if any of these signs or symptoms are present, it is time to dial 999 immediately We know that people are more likely to survive, make a better recovery and spend less time in hospital if they are admitted directly to a high quality stroke unit.

We’ve seen rapid improvements in the care we are providing patients who suffer a TIA or stroke in Worcestershire. Last year saw the opening of a new centralised specialist stroke unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The unit brings together stroke experts and equipment under one roof to provide care 24 hours a day.

It’s proved to be a huge success by exceeding performance targets as well as receiving excellent feedback from patients and carers.

But as we all know prevention is better than cure and recognising the symptoms early and acting quickly can make all the difference to your future risk of having a stroke. For more information about the ‘Not just a funny turn’ campaign visit www.

stroke.org.uk Dr Simon Rumley Chairman NHS Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group