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New NHS sepsis identification tool built on AHSN collaboration

Sepsis dashboard quote cardThe NHS has launched a tool that for the first time accurately measures the number of patients admitted to hospital who are at risk of sepsis which is notoriously difficult to detect.

The Suspicion of Sepsis (SOS) Insight Dashboard enables all hospitals to accurately measure how many patients are at risk of sepsis. It was created by Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP) and builds on the methodology for measuring sepsis published by the Oxford AHSN Patient Safety Collaborative (PSC) last year. It incorporates valuable input from the West of England and Wessex AHSNs.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that claims approximately 37,000 lives a year, although the exact figure is difficult to determine. It is caused when the body responds poorly to a bacterial infection and attacks its own tissues and organs.

Matt Hancock, The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: “Sepsis is a devastating condition that is notoriously tricky to diagnose, so I’m delighted to support this important new tool. Not only will it let clinicians understand the impact of different interventions for sepsis, but crucially, in the future it could help analyse which infections lead to sepsis more often. It is yet another example of how technology is improving patient care in the NHS.”

Matt Inada-Kim, national advisor to NHS England on sepsis, praised the work of the Oxford AHSN PSC team led by Professor Charles Vincent in starting the journey towards the creation of the national sepsis dashboard.

The initiative has been shortlisted in the national HSJ Awards.

Read more about the Oxford AHSN PSC sepsis and deteriorating patient workstream here.