The path to transforming sepsis outcomes in the UK took a significant step forward this week as survivors, bereaved families, and policymakers gathered at the House of Commons to discuss The Future of Sepsis Care. The event, held by the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST) on Monday 20th April, served as a powerful call to action and a reminder of what we can achieve when we stand together.
The day featured an impactful lineup of speakers, including Mike Wood MP and Lord Mackinlay – Co-Chairs of the APPG on Sepsis – who shared their own personal experiences of the condition. They were joined by Dr Ron Daniels BEM, founder of UKST, who addressed the impact on families and the long-term health economic burden of sepsis. Attendees also heard from Ramani Moonesinghe, NHSE’s Clinical Director for Clinical and Perioperative Care, who discussed what the future of sepsis care could look like in the context of the upcoming Sepsis Modern Service Framework (MSF). As a cornerstone of the NHS 10-year strategy, MSFs are designed to drive service transformation and improve patient outcomes across priority conditions.
But at the heart of the event were the stories of those with lived experience. These included 14-year-old Austin Hunter, who became a double amputee after surviving sepsis in 2024, Maria Campanini, who lost her sister Gina to the condition when she was just 30-years-old, and actor and UKST Ambassador Jason Watkins. By sharing their stories along with others, they’re ensuring that change is rooted in the reality of the patient experience.
Ramani Moonesinghe, NHSE
What does this mean for the future of sepsis care?
Modern Service Frameworks are being introduced to support long-term planning, sustainable investment and consistent delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, digital-by-default care. Developed in partnership with clinicians, people with lived experience and system partners, MSFs will focus on conditions where rapid and significant improvements in quality and productivity are achievable.
The Sepsis MSF has the potential to deliver the focus and joined-up planning that sepsis has long required. Early intervention remains the most powerful way to prevent avoidable deaths, yet variation in practice persists across the UK. A unified national framework for England offers the prospect of real, measurable change.
Founder and Chief Medical Officer of UKST, Dr Ron Daniels BEM, said: “This week’s event in Westminster demonstrated the power of what collaboration can achieve. Sepsis doesn’t just impact a patient for the duration of their hospital stay – it leaves a lifelong mark on survivors, their families, and the bereaved.
“While we have made significant strides in recent years, we need a joined-up system across the UK to truly make a difference. The upcoming MSF represents a commitment to standardising excellent sepsis care, meaning that every patient receives the care they deserve.
“I am confident that by working together with the NHS, we can create a pathway that prevents avoidable deaths and improves recovery for every person touched by sepsis.”
Read more about the Sepsis MSF here.
Photos taken by Ayub Khan
