Nurse-led team winning the race against sepsis

Sepsis kills more people in the UK each year than lung cancer, with persistent shortcomings in initial assessment and emergency treatment. But in one trust that has struggled with sepsis care, a nurse-led team based in the emergency department is demonstrating the dramatic impact of early intervention

The first nurse-led team focusing on patients with sepsis in the emergency department (ED) has vastly improved care for those at risk of the life-threatening condition.

The team, whose members wear bright red uniforms, are on the lookout for patients arriving at the ED at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust with any of the signs or symptoms of sepsis.

Over the past year the team has seen more than 4,000 patients and there has been a doubling in sepsis screening and a jump