On Tuesday 2nd September, 70 parliamentarians attended an event in Parliament ahead of World Sepsis Day on 13th September and pledged their support for improving sepsis awareness, following calls from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sepsis and The UK Sepsis Trust (UKST).
Attendees of the APPG drop-in session included ‘Bionic Peer’ Lord Mackinlay, who is a quadruple amputee following his own battle with sepsis in 2023, and UKST ambassador Harry Redknapp, who’s leading UKST’s Sepsis Awareness Month campaign. Those in attendance pledged their support of UKST’s Sepsis Awareness Month campaign, ‘It’s Game On for Sepsis Awareness.’
In the UK, five people lose their lives to sepsis every hour. It is a life-threatening condition which arises when the body’s response to infection harms its own tissues and organs. It affects 245,000 people in the UK annually, claiming 48,000 lives. Sepsis can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death if not recognised early and treated promptly.
To mark Sepsis Awareness Month this year, UKST is working with sports clubs and communities across the UK to raise awareness of this life-threatening condition. UKST has also created an educational, fun game – Sepsis Savvy Shootout – which helps users quickly learn key facts about sepsis. Those who play can be entered into a prize draw to win a meet and greet with Harry Redknapp, who is a UKST ambassador following his wife’s experience with sepsis in 2018.
Sepsis is triggered by the immune system’s over-reaction to an infection, which can be viral, bacterial or fungal. Common triggers for sepsis include chest infections and UTIs – but any type of infection could lead to sepsis, such as a simple bite or sting.
Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary hugely. As a result, sepsis can be challenging to diagnose. It’s therefore critical that all acutely unwell patients are treated promptly and appropriately regardless of cause, which is why awareness of the early signs is so important.
Founder and Chief Medical Officer of The UK Sepsis Trust, Dr Ron Daniels BEM, said: “Sepsis is an indiscriminate killer that affects 245,000 people in the UK every year. With at least 48,000 people losing their lives annually to sepsis-related illnesses – more than breast, bowel, and prostate cancer combined – the need for action is clear.
“We’re so grateful to every MP who has pledged to support our campaign and our work, this September and beyond. Their commitment is crucial in the fight against sepsis, and will help us to raise lifesaving awareness in communities across the UK.”
Header L-R: Mike Wood, UKST founder & Chief Medical Officer Dr Ron Daniels BEM, UKST CEO Sarah Hamilton-Fairley, Lord Mackinlay, Harry Redknapp
Photos taken by Ayub Khan
