Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to develop a sepsis strategy.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The current UK National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance discusses how we have stewardship programmes in place for both primary and secondary care settings, comprising a range of activities and resources to ensure antimicrobials are used appropriately and to improve prescribing behaviours. A copy of the plan is available at the following link:
Our stewardship activities are not just focused on reducing prescribing but also on ensuring timely treatment where rapid treatment with antibiotics is essential to save lives and reduce the long-term consequences of serious infection, for example from sepsis.
Since publication of the 2015 cross-system Sepsis Action Plan, we have increased the number of patients being screened and treated for sepsis and, importantly, through the combined sepsis and AMR Commissioning for Quality and Innovation, increased the number of inpatients who have a clinical antibiotic review between 24 and 72 hours, reducing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of sepsis cases have been identified in (a) children and (b) adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in the last 12 months.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department does not hold data on the number of sepsis cases or the proportion of those cases that have been identified in children or adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. However, the National Disease Registration Service in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England, and is available at the following link:
In 2021, the most recent complete year of data available, 614 patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia were recorded as being admitted to hospital for treatment within the first year of being diagnosed. Of those patients, 49% of children and 51% of adults had at least one recorded diagnosis of sepsis.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has provided funding for research into laser treatments for the prevention of (a) sepsis and (b) bacterial infections for people with wounds.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department invests over £1 billion a year through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Since 2017, the NIHR has funded 14 research projects on sepsis diagnosis and management, with a combined total funding value of over £27 million.
The Department continues to invest heavily in research and development of new tools to aid in the detection and management of sepsis and bacterial infections with the guidance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Laser therapies for sepsis and bacterial infections are still in their infancy, but the Department will continue to work closely with NICE to ensure that when they mature, their efficacy is proven and, subject to NICE recommending their use, they may become available to the National Health Service.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to increase awareness of the potential impact of oral hygiene on levels of prevalence of (a) sepsis and (b) blood borne bacterial infections that can originate from the mouth.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The control of oral diseases is essential to prevent and manage bacteraemia. Raising awareness of oral health in general can help to reduce the risk of sepsis and infective endocarditis.
The latest version of Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities supports dental teams to improve the oral and general health of their patients. The guidance includes advice on how to prevent and treat oral diseases like dental caries and periodontitis, and is available at the following link:
The UK Health Security Agency coordinates the ‘e-Bug’ health education programme, which aims to promote positive behaviour change amongst children and young people to support infection prevention and control efforts. Oral hygiene features in e-Bug lesson plans aimed at children from ‘early years’ to key stage 2 or equivalent. More information on the programme is available at the following link:
The Government continues to work with the UK Sepsis Trust which plays a pivotal role in influencing public awareness of sepsis through wide ranging campaigns, online resources, and events, including its dental sepsis campaign.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of cases where patients that developed sepsis in hospital have resulted in (a) permanent impairment and (b) death in the last 12 months.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government does not hold information on the number and proportion of cases where patients that developed sepsis in hospital have resulted in permanent impairment or death. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 25,542 deaths from sepsis in 2022.
Over recent years, the National Health Service has become much better at spotting and treating sepsis quickly. This means that more people are being identified as at risk of sepsis. Healthcare providers are encouraged to adopt the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2), which supports clinicians to identify and respond to patients at risk of acute deterioration, including those with suspected sepsis. Since 2019, NEWS2 has been implemented in 100% of ambulance trusts and all but one acute trust in England.
Mentions:
1: Victoria Atkins (Con - Louth and Horncastle) of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who, after being admitted to hospital following an accident, contracted sepsis - Speech Link
May. 08 2024
Source Page: Urinary tract infection: diagnostic tools for primary careFound: If suspected sepsis OR pyelonephritis: • obtain urine specimen before antibiotics are taken and send
May. 08 2024
Source Page: Urinary tract infection: diagnostic tools for primary careFound: If suspected sepsis OR pyelonephritis • if urinary catheter for more than 7 days: consider changing
Written Evidence Apr. 24 2024
Inquiry: NHS leadership, performance and patient safetyFound: We identified 265 coroners' PFDs involving sepsis, meaning that at least 1 in 20 reports involve
May. 08 2024
Source Page: Urinary tract infection: diagnostic tools for primary careFound: THINK SEPSIS - check for symptoms/signs using local/national tool such as NICE, RCGP or NEWS2 PYELONEPHRITIS