Stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes kill more than 2500 New Zealanders a year – which is seven people a day. They are the biggest cause of adult disability – with 40,000 needing ongoing care.

Our research has shown that if you are unlucky enough to have a stroke, you only have a 50/50 chance of someone around you recognising the symptoms. Delayed recognition is delayed medical response. Delayed response can have tragic consequences.

Prompt recognition of stroke symptoms usually leads to earlier presentation for stroke treatment. This results in significantly improved outcomes for stroke patients, which in turn saves lives as well as reducing ongoing costs to caregivers and taxpayers.