Healthcare trust secures £50,000 funding for sepsis care

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals will use the funding to “significantly develop” nursing roles and training.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition which happens when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs.

In the UK alone, 245,000 people are affected by sepsis with at least 48,000 people losing their lives in sepsis-related illnesses every year.

Marie Hardacre, associate chief nurse for patient safety and quality, said: “There’s no one sign of sepsis and symptoms present differently in adults and children.

“Sepsis could affect any one of us, with 40 per cent of sepsis survivors suffering permanent, life changing after-effects.”

The steps involved in the new ‘Sepsis Six Care Bundle’ have been shown to reduce the relative risk of death by 46.6 per cent when delivered to patients with severe sepsis within one hour, according to the UK Sepsis Trust.

Marie said: “The improvement plan focuses on all the team at DBTH and includes increasing knowledge and awareness of sepsis and how essential it is that the sepsis six screening tool is used.”

Following the introduction of the sepsis action group in July 2023, Marie applied for £50,000 from Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Charity to fund two sepsis nurse specialists, one for adults and one for paediatrics.

Beth Vincent, who has now been in post as the sepsis nurse specialist for paediatrics for 11 months, said: “I thought the role would provide a good opportunity to collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team to hear their voices and develop actions to improve sepsis care for our Trust.”

The sepsis nurse specialist for adults is Heather Holt, who works as a sister on the haematology ward at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Marie also applied for £2,500 in funding for online sepsis training for staff.

Sepsis was previously taught as part of other courses, making the dedicated sepsis training the first of its kind in the trust.

Marie added: “The more people who know and understand about the warning signs of sepsis the more deaths can be prevented.

"The improvement plan focuses on all the team at DBTH and includes increasing knowledge and awareness of sepsis and how essential it is that the sepsis six screening tool is used.”