Hospital staff given extra support to recognise sepsis

Work to strengthen early recognition of sepsis across hospitals that serve communities in East Leeds has stepped up over the past year, with new training and specialist roles introduced at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust records just under a quarter of a million admissions annually and says early identification remains vital in reducing sepsis’s potentially fatal impact. To support this, a Lead Sepsis Nurse role was created just over a year ago, with Chelsea Farnsworth appointed to develop and oversee a Trust wide education programme.

Since taking up the post, Chelsea has focused on face to face sessions with frontline colleagues, including clinical support workers and link nurses. The aim is to help staff recognise the earliest warning signs and ensure patients and families feel supported in raising concerns quickly, something that can be critical for residents in East Leeds who rely heavily on the city’s acute hospitals.

“I’m passionate about this, early recognition of sepsis really does save lives,” said Chelsea, the new Lead Clinical Nurse. She added: “A few hours can make an enormous difference to a patient’s outcome. Sepsis outcomes improve when teams work together confidently and consistently.”

She added that her ambition is for staff of all roles and experience levels to feel empowered to act when deterioration is spotted.

A key contributor to the work is Liz Milner, a Patient Improvement Partner who volunteers to ensure patient experience stays central to the Trust’s approach. With more than four decades in nursing and personal experience of sepsis affecting both herself and her family, she brings lived insight that helps shape the training being delivered across the Trust’s sites that are used daily by people in East Leeds.

“I want to help people recognise the early signs of sepsis, both the public and colleagues here at work. That’s what will make the difference, catching it early,” Liz explained.

To help patients, families and staff understand what to watch for, the Trust highlights the vital signs of sepsis. These include low blood pressure or a fast heart rate, new confusion or disorientation and rapid breathing or shortness of breath. Other symptoms can include extreme muscle pain or shivering, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, unusual skin changes such as blue lips, fingers or toes, and a rash or cold, clammy, ashen or mottled skin.

Through this combined approach of clinical leadership and patient partnership, hospitals that serve communities in East Leeds are aiming to identify more cases earlier, raising awareness and improving outcomes through timely intervention.