ESS 2026 Content Programme

In this session, Joe Dent explores stroke recognition from the traditional FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) assessment through to the subtle and posterior presentations it can miss. The session opens with FAST as a simple, rapid screening tool for identifying facial droop, arm weakness and speech difficulty, and emphasises the critical importance of time in initiating urgent care and supporting early decision-making in out-of-hospital environments.

It then builds on these principles to examine atypical stroke presentations, particularly posterior circulation strokes, where symptoms such as balance disturbance, visual changes and non-specific neurological deficits may go undetected by FAST alone. Through a clinically focused, practical lens, the session equips clinicians with a broader awareness of both common and overlooked stroke presentations, strengthening clinical judgement and improving early recognition across the full spectrum of time-critical neurological emergencies.