Almost 10,000 people in Ireland suffer a stroke every year, however just half of the public would call 999 in the event of a stroke, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has said.

It is warning people that knowing the signs of a stroke is not enough - you have to call the emergency services as well.

The foundation made its comments ahead of FAST Awareness Week, which runs from August 11-17. This is an annual event which tries to raise awareness of the signs of a stroke. FAST stands for:
-Face - has the person's face fallen on one side?
-Arms - can the person raise both arms and keep them there?
-Speech - is their speech slurred?
-Time - if you seen any of these signs, it is time to call 999.

The campaign is supported by Fair City actors, Tom Hopkins, whose character Christy Phelan, recently suffered a stroke, and Jim Bartley, who plays Bela Doyle, who suffered a real-life stroke in 2011.

"I've had firsthand experience of stroke and I can tell you, I didn't think it would ever happen to me. When it did, it came out of nowhere. A stroke happens so quickly. I am one of the lucky ones who got to hospital for treatment immediately. In today's world, everyone has a mobile phone and we need to call 999 as soon as we suspect stroke. It could save the life of someone you know," Mr Bartley said.

According to the IHF, the average stroke kills two million brain cells every minute, so time is of the essence. The sooner treatment is given, the more brain can be saved.

"Since we first launched our FAST stroke symptom TV campaign in 2010, the numbers receiving life-changing clot busting treatment have dramatically increased by more than 400% nationally, and the rapid development of 24/7 thrombolysis services nationally by the HSE's National Stroke Programme has helped cut death and disability rates from stroke significantly against demographic and international trends," noted Chris Macey of the IHF.

However, he insisted that ‘a lot more lives could be saved in Ireland and a lot more stroke sufferers could be spared from severe disability requiring long-term institutional care' if more people rang 999 when they spotted any warning signs.

A previous survey by the IHF revealed that just 52% of people would call an ambulance if they thought they were having a stroke. Almost one in four would tell a family member, friend or neighbour and 12% would call their GP.

For more information on stroke, click here