MIKE HEDGES AM SUPPORTS WORLD SEPSIS DAY

Mike Hedges AM for Swansea East has lent his support to World Sepsis Day, the day world focuses on combating an illness which costs the lives of over 1800 people each year in Wales.

Mike Hedges said… I am pleased to support this cause as I am aware of the devastation that this condition causes – and how easily it can be treated if it is spotted early and dealt with before it causes its damage. I am pleased that the Welsh Government has introduced the NEWS screening system in all Welsh NHS Hospitals to enable staff to identify if patients are at risk of developing the condition. I support the role out of this system to enable people in Community settings to also identify if people are developing Sepsis. Awareness raising amongst the general Public is also a big part of this campaign which is why I am supporting World Sepsis Day.

I would urge everyone to look at information highlighting the condition and let’s beat this dreadful condition!

World Sepsis Day – what is sepsis?
What is it?
Sepsis is a life threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It can be caused by something as simple as a cut or insect bite, or an infection like pneumonia. It is also a risk following surgery, or for women who have just given birth.

How common is it?
Severe sepsis accounts for 37,000 deaths per year in the UK– the equivalent of a top-flight football stadium full of people – with an estimated 1,850 of those to be in Wales. It accounts for more deaths annually than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined and is the highest cause of maternal death in the UK.

What is being done to tackle sepsis?
Key developments in Wales include;
• Every hospital in Wales is now using the National Early Warning Score (known as NEWS), which is a simple system that enables staff to assess whether patients are developing sepsis.
• NEWS is also being tested by staff in community hospitals and in residential homes for the elderly and in mental health services
• Welsh Ambulance Service paramedics are testing NEWs and are developing systems for screening patients for sepsis prior to arrival at hospital
• Velindre Cancer Centre uses NEWS across all its clinical areas and out-patient chemotherapy units ensuring it meets the needs of cancer patients.
• Staff are using sepsis screening tools which help identify sepsis in patients at very early stages, meaning life saving treatment can be given much earlier. Find out more: Rapid Response to Acute Illness
• Patients are being treated with the ‘sepsis six’ care bundle which consists of three quick tests for sepsis and three simple treatments that are proven to combat it.
• Doctors, midwives and maternity nurses have worked together to create, implement and monitor the results of bundles of care which improve the recognition and prompt response to treat critically ill women in maternity units in Wales. SFind out more: Transforming Maternity Services
• Tool kits are being created to help medical students learn how to spot sepsis early on in their training.