Nevill Hall Hospital is to mark World Sepsis Day on Tuesday, September 13 with an awareness day focusing on the life-threatening condition.

Sepsis, if not recognised and treated promptly, can result in serious illness, admission to critical care units and even death. It is thought to be the cause of around 2,200 deaths every year in Wales, with more than 44,000 deaths reported nationally (Sepsis Trust UK).

In Wales, Sepsis is recognised by Welsh Government as a Tier One priority for health boards to improve early identification, treatment and education.

The publication NICE (NG51) guidelines on Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management, which came out on July 13, recognised the importance of early diagnosis and management of sepsis, and the need for it to be treated in the same way as any other medical emergency as a means of reducing avoidable death.  

The Outreach Team within Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - based at Nevill Hall - are qualified healthcare professionals with a background in Critical Care nursing. They provide education as well as clinical support to ward-based staff in early recognition of Sepsis and management of the deteriorating patient.

Lead Outreach Practitioner Angela Downward explained, “We are passionate about improving clinical practice through education and empowering the public with knowledge around the condition Sepsis, so they can feel self-assured that if they are hospitalised or someone they love is taken ill, they can feel more confident in asking healthcare professionals, could this be Sepsis?

“We work closely with 1,000 Lives Improvement who have long been supporting the prevention of Sepsis in NHS Wales through its Rapid Response to Acute Illness Learning Set (RRAILS programme).  

“Together, we have strong links to the Sepsis Trust UK through its Welsh alliance.

“The event at Nevill Hall is an opportunity for us within the health board to increase further awareness of this condition amongst our patients, local communities and healthcare professionals.

“It also gives us the chance to celebrate the excellent work being taken forward by our staff and colleagues across the wider NHS Wales to treat patients who present with this condition at the earliest stage, and to reduce unnecessary deaths happening in Wales.”