Warning that the lack of a national checklist for symptoms of sepsis in children may have led to thousands of needless deaths

A symptoms checklist already exists for adults, but individual trusts usually rely on their own systems for detecting the condition in children.

The Royal College of Nursing has campaigned for a decade for the introduction of a standard system to alert medical staff to children who are showing symptoms of sepsis. However, according to the union, continued disagreements between NHS chiefs mean progress has been ‘very slow’.

Campaigners are now warning that the delay may have led to the deaths and life-changing disabilities of thousands of children.

Data obtained from the NHS shows that in England, there were 26,725 incidences of sepsis in children under the age of five in 2015, and according to the UK Sepsis Trust, between 1,000 and 4,000 under-fives die every year from the condition in the UK.

According to estimates, 25 per cent of survivors are left with life-affecting health problems.

Acting chief executive of the RCN, Dame Donna Kinnair, said the checklist could save lives, adding “Sepsis in a child is so sudden, you see a child go from life to death.

“You can see a child who comes in looking like they have a common cold. You might send that child home. In a matter of an hour, you see the child develop the spots and the symptoms of sepsis that are very clearly defined.

“You might think it’s flu, you might think it’s a cold, but an hour later you have a child with no way of saving. By the time they have developed the stark symptoms of sepsis there’s no way you can come back from that.”

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Freephone : 0800 304 738