New tool allows public to assess risk of sepsis

Health experts have launched an online tool to help the public understand their risk of a potentially life-threatening condition.

Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system over-reacts to an infection and starts to damage its own tissues and organs.

It is notoriously hard to spot as it has lots of possible symptoms which can be like those of other conditions, including flu or a chest infection.

The UK Sepsis Trust and digital-first healthcare provider HealthHero have created a new online tool to help people assess if they, or a loved one, is at risk of sepsis.

Users answer a set of questions about their symptoms and are given tailored advice.

The UK Sepsis Trust said the tool is the first of its kind to be digitised and can be used by the public.

It said the tool, which is available through the charity’s website, requires no clinical knowledge.

If the assessment identifies that a person is at high risk of sepsis, they are urged to seek urgent medical help via 999 or going to A&E.

People with a moderate risk are urged to call a doctor or phone 111, and if a person’s risk is low the tool explains what they should watch out for and when to reassess.

Some 48,000 people in the UK die from sepsis each year, with 245,000 people affected annually.

Dr Ron Daniels, founder and chief medical officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “For the first time globally, we are empowering members of the public with health professional-developed questions in an accessible format, based upon agreed guidance from multiple agencies including the medical Royal Colleges and the former Public Health England.

“Using this accepted guidance, people of all ages will be safeguarded and their loved ones able to signpost them to access healthcare in the best possible way.”

Dr Amina Hersi, clinical editor at HealthHero, said: “I don’t just believe in this tool professionally; I believe in it personally.

“In 2023, I lost my mother to sepsis – her assessment was completed incorrectly and that mistake had devastating consequences.

“That kind of helplessness never leaves you and I would never wish such pain on anyone.

“This tool gives people the power to act early.

“Even when you don’t have a medical background or equipment like pulse or oxygen monitors, this tool is there in your pocket, on your phone.

“It enables families to check their concerns quickly, at any time.

“With sepsis, every single minute counts. This tool has the potential to save lives.”

She added: “By putting clear health education directly into people’s hands, we’re helping them act faster and that can be the difference between life and death.”

Actor Jason Watkins, who is an ambassador for the charity, has worked to highlight the deadly impact of sepsis since the death of his daughter Maude, who died of the condition when she was two in 2011.

Commenting on the new tool, he said: “We lost our daughter, Maude, in 2011, I had never even heard the word ‘sepsis’ before – I didn’t know what it was. Very few did.

“It is almost impossible to contemplate what may have happened if we had known more about sepsis then – if we had asked ‘could it be sepsis?’ Awareness is everything. I want no parent to be exposed in this way.

“That’s why I wholeheartedly support this sepsis assessment tool. It empowers people – parents, carers, partners, loved ones – to take action and confidently ask ‘Could this be sepsis?’. It could, potentially, save thousands of lives.”