The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has announced measures to tackle sepsis, involving the NHS, Government and national health bodies.
Plans include an audit of practice in every GP surgery in England by March 2015, and a new tool for GPs to diagnose sepsis among children under five. New diagnosis and incentivised treatment goals for hospitals are also designed to help raise standards.
Public Health England will be looking at the benefits of a new public awareness campaign on the signs and symptoms of sepsis, aimed at those most at risk, while Health Education England will ensure healthcare workers and trainees receive training and education on sepsis.
The plans are in part a response to the death of three-year-old Sam Morrish, who died in December 2010 following delays in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. His parents, Scott and Susannah, now work closely with the UK Sepsis Trust to improve awareness and care relating to the condition.
Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said: “I want the NHS to rival the safety record of the airline industry and become the safest healthcare system in the world. There has already been good progress. We have virtually halved C. diff and MRSA infection rates in the last four years, saving money, but more importantly improving patient care.
“Sepsis is a devastating condition that kills more than 80 people in England every day. It is time to apply the lessons we’ve already learnt on patient safety and reduce the number of lives that are needlessly lost to this silent killer.
Isansys Lifecare is currently working on new technology solutions to improve sepsis detection and provide early warning notifications of sepsis. Keith Errey, CEO of Isansys, said:
“We warmly welcome these actions across the health system on recognising and treating sepsis, which taken together could save thousands of lives each year and cut costs for the National Health Service.
“Often sepsis is not recognised quickly enough and patients are not given antibiotics and other treatment in time to save lives. These new plans to tackle sepsis will help improve patient safety, save money and save lives.
“From our work at Isansys, we have learnt that the key to success in improving patient outcomes is by using simple systems to engage frontline clinicians. We are pleased to see others actively working to improve awareness and diagnosis of the condition.”
Dr Ron Daniels, intensive care consultant and chief executive of the charity UK Sepsis Trust, said:
“We welcome the announcement by the Secretary of State as a major step toward saving lives and reducing the cost of caring for these critically ill patients.
“Sepsis is the hidden killer which claims 31,000 lives in England every year: more than bowel cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Rapid access to healthcare, and reliable delivery of the most basic aspects of care, can save an extra 11,000 lives every year.”
