Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of processes for the management of sepsis in other countries.

The Department does not routinely assess the implications of its policies for the management of sepsis on policies in other countries. However, the Government does engage in international discussions on the management of infections such as sepsis, including through the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO has recently published a global strategy on infection prevention and control, which aligns with Resolution WHA70.7, Improving the prevention, diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis.

Furthermore, the Government supports strengthening health systems in low-and-middle-income countries, to prevent and manage infection such as sepsis where the burden is greatest.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body, and its guidelines are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and developed by experts through consultation with stakeholders in line with NICE’s internationally respected processes. Building on the latest evidence from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, NICE will publish updated national sepsis guidance in early 2024.