Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron is a new podcast from the UK Sepsis Trust, aimed at junior healthcare professionals, as well as health-conscious members of the public.
It aims to educate and raise awareness about sepsis, as well as infection management more broadly.
The podcast is hosted by UKST Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels, who is an intensive care physician within the NHS, as well as Vice President of the Global Sepsis Alliance.
Episode 10: Ombudsman insights: A decade of challenges and achievements in sepsis care
In the tenth episode of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels welcomes Rob Behrens, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and Chair of the organisation, to share his thoughts on the evolving landscape of sepsis care.
As Rob approaches the end of his tenure, they reflect on the changes since the Ombudsman’s groundbreaking sepsis report, ‘A Time to Act,’ in 2013.
They discuss improvements in sepsis detection, management, and patient outcomes over the past decade, as well as key takeaways from the Ombudsman’s latest report, ‘Spotlight on sepsis: your stories, your rights.’
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
Trigger warning: Death, Grief, Child Loss
In the first episode Dr Ron speaks to BAFTA award-winning actor and UKST ambassador Jason Watkins (The Catch, Line of Duty) ahead of the release of a new documentary about the tragic loss of Jason’s daughter, Maude, to sepsis in 2011.
Listen now:
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In the second episode Dr Ron speaks to UKST Lead Support Nurse Oliver Jones about sepsis recovery, with a focus on Post Sepsis Syndrome (PSS).
Oliver’s background as a critical care nurse makes him the perfect candidate to discuss what information and aftercare is needed for sepsis survivors. Together with Ron, he explores the impact of PSS on people’s lives and the challenges of getting it recognised by health professionals, insurance providers, and employers.
The pair discuss ways in which health professionals can help patients who may be experiencing problems after sepsis, and give an overview of the fantastic support services provided by the UK Sepsis Trust.
Listen now:
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In episode 3 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, to mark maternal sepsis month UKST Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels speaks to lecturer and mum Dr Poppy Gibson about her experience following the birth of her second child to raise awareness of the signs of sepsis among this at-risk group.
While anyone can get sepsis at any time, pregnant people and new mothers are particularly at risk of infection and therefore sepsis. As well as breaking down some of the stigmas around accessing support for your mental health as a new mum, the episode aims to empower parents – particularly first-time parents – to be prepared to ‘Just ask: Could it be sepsis?’ if something doesn’t feel right.
Find out more about maternal sepsis here.
Listen now:
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In episode 4 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, renowned journalist and editor Matthew D’Ancona (The New European, Prospect, The Evening Standard) joins Dr Ron Daniels to speak about his own #sepsis experience, including his ICU delirium, which resulted in Matthew believing he was producing and staring in an HBO spy drama.
The pair also tackle the big question of how the media can help spread the word about sepsis, especially in the run up to World Sepsis Day on 13 September, and how the issue is interlinked with the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Listen now:
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In episode 5 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels is joined by Dr Tom Ashfield a Senior Medical Advisor at Pfizer, and a GP. Tom is an employee of Pfizer UK, his contributions reflect the work of Pfizer UK in AMR and his own experience as a doctor. Pfizer UK have undertaken content approval of this episode.
The two doctors discuss the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the link to sepsis. They also explore the vital work of the Infection Management Coalition to put responsible antimicrobial stewardship on the agenda of global health leaders, as well as making the issue easy to understand so that patients are empowered to safeguard their own future.
The pair cover:
Find out more about the Infection Management Coalition: theimc.org
Find out more about sepsis, and the work of the UKST: sepsistrust.org
Final approval undertaken by Pfizer UK. Date of prep. August 2023; PP-UNP-GBR-6068
Listen now:
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In episode 6 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels is joined by Cóilín Nunan, who is the Policy and Science Manager of the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, an alliance of 71 member organisations co-founded by Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association and Sustain to campaign against the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming.
Following the publication of Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics’ new report, a comprehensive assessment of the antibiotic policies of the UK’s leading catering companies, the duo discuss how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could cause up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050 if we don’t act now.
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In episode seven of Sepsis Voices with Dr. Ron, Melissa Mead shares her heart-wrenching story after losing her beloved son William to sepsis in 2014. Published on the anniversary of William’s death, a recently published report from the National Child Mortality Database found that clinical signs of sepsis were present in 701 child deaths between April 2019 and March 2022, out of a total of 1507 deaths; with 15% of those deaths related to infection.
Melissa illustrates how the sepsis landscape has changed over the nine years since her family’s tragic loss, and shares what she thinks still needs to be done to improve outcomes.
Dr Ron is also joined by Mandy Moores, whose identical twin daughters offer a unique insight into the long-term effects of sepsis on children. Mandy shines a light on the challenges faced by families affected by paediatric sepsis, celebrating what Tilly has achieved against the odds.
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In 2024’s first episode of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, Dr Ron Daniels is joined by Lindsay Duncan, who is World Animal Protection UK’s Farming Campaigns Manager.
Released in time for Veganuary, and following the recent publication of World Animal Protection’s report ‘Is factory farming killing us?’, the pair discuss the very real global threat of antimicrobial resistance and how consumer dietary habits will be vital in combatting the problem.
Do you have to go vegan to make a difference, or could giving greater consideration to the type and quality of meat we eat be a solution? Listen and find out!
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.
In episode nine of ‘Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron’, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels sits down with Dr Siwan Seaman, a Consultant at the in-patient unit at the Marie Curie hospice in Cardiff and the Vale, and recently appointed Medical Director at the hospice.
Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end of life charity. While they deal with patients with a range of life-limiting conditions, this episode focuses on cancer and sepsis, given that it was World Cancer Day on 4th February and King Charles III has recently been diagnosed with cancer.
The podcast is also available on other platforms such as Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and more.