Public awareness of stroke symptoms and the need to take action immediately have improved following national stroke campaigns funded by the Ministry of Health in 2016, 2017 and 2018 promoting “F-A-S-T: ‘FACE-ARMSPEECH’ and the importance of ‘TIME’ and to ‘TAKE action'”. Recognition of speech and/or arm weakness as a stroke sign improved from 71.7% to 75.9% (p=0.022), time-critical awareness increased from 8.1% to 31.7% (p<0.0001), daily ambulance callouts for suspected stroke increased from 21.5% to 25.7% (p<0.01), and thrombolysis rates increased from 8.1% to 9.7% (p<0.02) in the time period before the 2017 campaign compared with after the 2018 campaign. Similar patterns were seen for Māori and Pasifika.
