AN Oxford stroke specialist has called for more awareness over the need to take rapid action after a mini-stroke in order to reduce the number of major strokes.

A study of more than 2,200 patients across Oxfordshire looked at the association of the FAST [Face-Arms-Speech-Time] public education campaign with delays and failure to seek medical attention after a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke.

The rate of fatal strokes in Oxfordshire males is on the rise according to the latest figures, against a declining national and regional trend.

The number of female deaths linked to strokes in Oxford has also increased beyond the national average.

The research, led by professor Peter Rothwell of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Stroke Theme Lead for the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, found that patients often fail to recognise or act following a TIA.

Like a stroke, the signs and symptoms of a TIA usually begin suddenly.

The symptoms are similar to those of a stroke and include numbness or muscle weakness, usually on one side of the body, and difficulty speaking or understanding speech.

Prof Rothwell said: “The FAST campaign has been successful in getting people to respond quickly to the symptoms of major strokes, but our research has found that this public awareness campaign has not improved the response to minor stroke and TIAs.

“Many people ignore these more minor warning symptoms and subsequently suffer major strokes that would have been preventable.

“We believe that the ongoing public awareness campaign should also focus on the less severe symptoms that are typical of a mini-stroke, to help people to also understand their significance.”

Prof Rothwell had previously shown that the risk of major stroke can often be higher after a TIA, and that quick medical attention can substantially reduce that risk.

According to the research the risk of a major stroke within seven days of a minor event is around 10 per cent higher.

Between April 2016 and March 2017 there were around 12,500 GP patients in Oxfordshire with a diagnosis of stroke or TIA, up from 11,800 in 2015/16.

The prevalence increased from 1.68 per cent of patients to 1.71 per cent.

Stroke is the fourth biggest killer in the in the UK with around 150,000 people in the UK suffering a stroke each year - equating to one stroke every five minutes.