Corrie serves a reminder of early Sepsis diagnosis importance

Posted on July 11, 2018

A recent Coronation Street storyline serves as a reminder of how important the early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis is.

In the soap Jack Webster, a promising young footballer, developed sepsis and had to undergo a foot amputation following hospital delays in diagnosis and treatment. The character has survived the ordeal but future episodes will highlight the significant impact that the condition can have on those who live.

Sepsis occurs when the body's immune system goes into overdrive. The initial problem can be quite mild and start anywhere, from a cut on the finger to a chest or urine infection, but when not diagnosed correctly and left untreated it can lead to severe organ failure, shock and death if not treated early enough. Sepsis leads to 44,000 UK deaths a year, but experts estimate between 5,000 and 13,000 could be avoided.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that suspected sepsis patients should be treated as an emergency and in the same way as a heart attack. Doctors are urged to question whether a patient could potentially have sepsis when they are unwell with an infection and to spot symptoms including fever, fast breathing and a fast heart rate.

Patients are still dying because standards within hospitals are not being met. Sepsis is more deadly than breast, bowel and prostate cancer put together, yet statistics show that more than 50% of patients who present with signs of sepsis are not getting the treatment they need within the recommended timeframe.

Sepsis is not a new phenomenon, it has been a spiralling problem in the UK for more than 10 years. Whilst the government recognises that there is a problem, not enough is being done to protect patients. The longer it takes to implement effective and comprehensive protocols, processes and pathways within all UK hospitals, the more patients will die unavoidably.

If you’ve suffered sepsis related problems as a result of medical negligence, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim.

If you require any advice or you’d like to speak to one of our specialist negligence solicitors please call 0161 785 3500.

You can read about other cases of sepsis below:-

/blog/news/girl-6-dies-due-to-missed-meningitis-diagnosis

/blog/news/spotlight-on-royal-oldham-hospital

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