Doctors told to treat sepsis within one hour

New NHS rules have stipulated that all patients being admitted to hospital with suspected sepsis must be treated by a senior doctor and assessed, administered with antibiotics and put on intravenous fluids, within one hour of arriving at hospital.

Sepsis is the leading cause of avoidable death in the UK, claiming at least 44,000 victims each year, and strikes when an infection triggers a violent immune response, causing the body to attack its own organs.

Early symptoms can be easy to miss and difficult to diagnose, and are often confused with other, milder conditions.

Figures released by the NHS in March 2016 showed that 90 minutes after arriving at hospital, 22 per cent of patients with sepsis had not been seen and 38 per cent had not been administered with antibiotics.

The new document proposes that every patient who has an infection is given a leaflet detailing symptoms of sepsis, and told to go back to the hospital if their condition deteriorates.

The UK Sepsis Trust’s Dr Ron Daniels, said “This will ensure the right people get to the right patients and deliver the right care at the right time.

“It is not just a tick-box exercise. Hospitals will have to demonstrate that they have the systems in place to make this happen.”

Jeremy Hunt has said “We need to get far better at spotting sepsis across the NHS and this advice shows how vital it is for clinicians to treat life-threatening symptoms as soon as possible.”

Julie Mellor, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said these new rules would “ultimately save thousands of lives.”

“Politicians need to step up to the plate and be brave.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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