NHS England has launched a new lifesaving campaign to encourage people to dial 999 when they are having early signs of a heart attack.
The new polling also showed that fewer than half of people said they would dial 999 if they or a loved one experienced lesser known symptoms of heart attacks.
New NHS research also shows that whilst 70 per cent of those surveyed understood that pain in the chest is a symptom of a heart attack, just 41 per cent knew sweating was a symptom and only 27 per cent understood feeling weak, lightheaded or a feeling of general unease were also symptoms.
The NHS advert will show a person experiencing some of the common early symptoms of a heart attack – sweating, uneasiness and chest tightness – and reminds viewers to dial 999 if they experience the symptoms of a heart attack. The campaign seeks to tackle a number of common heart attack myths, after research identified that three in four people thought a heart attack was the same as a cardiac arrest.
There are more than 80,000 hospital heart attack admissions in England every year. The overall survival rate for people experiencing a heart attack is seven in 10 and this increases to nine in 10 for those who come forward for early hospital treatment.
The campaign, which will run from 14 February to 31 March 2022, is the first of the NHS ‘Help Us Help You’ campaigns specific to heart attacks.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “Sadly, cardiovascular disease causes a quarter of all deaths across the country and we have identified this as the single biggest area where we can save lives over the next decade. This new NHS campaign will be a vital tool in that lifesaving mission – helping people to recognise when they or someone around them is experiencing a heart attack and when to seek early medical help cannot be underestimated. It can be easy to dismiss early symptoms as they don’t always feel severe, but it is never too early to dial 999 in this circumstance – and the faster you act, the better the chance of a full recovery.”
