Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron

Ombudsman insights: A decade of challenges and achievements in sepsis care

In the tenth episode of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels welcomes Rob Behrens, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and Chair of the organisation, to share his thoughts on the evolving landscape of sepsis care.

As Rob approaches the end of his tenure, they reflect on the changes since the Ombudsman's groundbreaking sepsis report, 'A Time to Act,' in 2013.

They discuss improvements in sepsis detection, management, and patient outcomes over the past decade, as well as key takeaways from the Ombudsman's latest report, 'Spotlight on sepsis: your stories, your rights.'

The pair also cover:  

• Healthcare providers' responses to Ombudsman recommendations and barriers hindering implementation.
• Insights on driving systemic change and promoting patient safety during Rob's tenure.
• Recent updates to NICE sepsis guidelines and their significance for healthcare professionals.
• Necessary changes within the NHS and recommendations for sustained improvement in sepsis identification and treatment protocols.
• Addressing the balance between urgent treatment and antimicrobial stewardship in sepsis cases.
• The role of public awareness and education in improving sepsis outcomes.
• Rob’s advice for his successor

Visit www.ombudsman.org.uk to read the two sepsis reports and https://sepsistrust.org/professional-resources/ for UKST’s range of clinical tools and e-learning.

Collaborating for compassionate end-of-life care: UKST and Marie Curie on treating cancer and sepsis in palliative settings

In episode nine of 'Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron', UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels sits down with Dr Siwan Seaman, a Consultant at the in-patient unit at the Marie Curie hospice in Cardiff and the Vale, and recently appointed Medical Director at the hospice.

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end of life charity. While they deal with patients with a range of life-limiting conditions, this episode focuses on cancer and sepsis, given that it was World Cancer Day on 4^th February and King Charles III has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

The pair discuss:

• The intricate link between cancer and sepsis, unveiling pertinent risk factors
• The evolving landscape of coding on death certificates and its impact on understanding the correlation between these conditions
• Collaborative efforts between UKST and Marie Curie in developing a palliative care tool tailored for clinicians attending to hospice patients exhibiting sepsis red flags
• The paradigm shift ushered in by more acute interventions for individuals with life-limiting illnesses.
• The nuanced challenges in identifying and managing sepsis within the realm of palliative care, navigating the delicate balance between intervention intensity and prioritising patient comfort and quality of life
• The crucial involvement of patients and their families in decision-making regarding sepsis management, intricately woven within the framework of end-of-life care
• The promising potential of technology in augmenting sepsis recognition and management

The palliative care tool discussed in this episode is available for use across all hospice settings, not limited to Marie Curie's nine hospices, access it here: https://sepsistrust.org/professional-resources/our-clinical-tools/marie-curie-the-uk-sepsis-trust/

If you’ve been affected by sepsis, get support from UKST’s specialist support nurses: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/

Learn more about Marie Curie: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

From Farm to Fork: Tackling the AMR crisis in farming beyond Veganuary 2024

In 2024’s first episode of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, Dr Ron Daniels is joined by Lindsay Duncan, who is World Animal Protection UK’s Farming Campaigns Manager.

Released in time for Veganuary, and following the recent publication of World Animal Protection’s report ‘Is factory farming killing us?’, the pair discuss the very real global threat of antimicrobial resistance and how consumer dietary habits will be vital in combatting the problem.

Do you have to go vegan to make a difference, or could giving greater consideration to the type and quality of meat we eat be a solution? Listen and find out! 

The pair discuss:

• The fact that by 2050, an estimated 10 million deaths per year globally will be caused by superbugs (bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat infections), with an overall economic cost of US$100 trillion.
• How and why antimicrobials are used in farming in the UK, and globally
• How the overuse of antimicrobials in animal farming contributes to the spread of superbugs and reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics for treating the infections these superbugs cause in both humans and animals – with World Animal Protection’s report finding that almost 2000 human deaths in the UK can be attributed to the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms
• How consumers, supermarkets and governments can each play a part in reducing meat consumption to sustainable levels – even if you aren’t doing Veganuary!

Read the report: https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/our-work/farming/superbugs

 

Find out more about World Animal Protection’s work: https://www.worldanimalprotection.org.uk/

 

Learn more about UKST’s attitude to antimicrobial stewardship: https://sepsistrust.org/about/about-the-charity/

Beyond the Numbers: Illuminating the reality of paediatric sepsis

In episode seven of Sepsis Voices with Dr. Ron, Melissa Mead shares her heart-wrenching story after losing her beloved son William to sepsis in 2014. Published on the anniversary of William’s death, a recently published report from the National Child Mortality Database found that clinical signs of sepsis were present in 701 child deaths between April 2019 and March 2022, out of a total of 1507 deaths; with 15% of those deaths related to infection.

Melissa illustrates how the sepsis landscape has changed over the nine years since her family’s tragic loss, and shares what she thinks still needs to be done to improve outcomes.

Dr Ron is also joined by Mandy Moores, whose identical twin daughters offer a unique insight into the long-term effects of sepsis on children. Mandy shines a light on the challenges faced by families affected by paediatric sepsis, celebrating what Tilly has achieved against the odds.

Join us as we amplify the voices of those who have experienced the devastating impact of sepsis firsthand and work towards a future where no child's life is avoidably cut short by this awful condition.

Read the report: https://www.ncmd.info/publications/child-death-infection/

Get sepsis support: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/

Food for thought: How UK catering companies and consumers can drive change in the race to prevent antimicrobial resistance

In episode 6 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels is joined by Cóilín Nunan, who is the Policy and Science Manager of the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, an alliance of 71 member organisations co-founded by Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association and Sustain to campaign against the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming.

Following the publication of Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics’ new report, a comprehensive assessment of the antibiotic policies of the UK’s leading catering companies, the duo discuss how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could cause up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050 if we don’t act now.

The pair cover:

• Antibiotic use in the farming industry – how the UK is falling behind the EU
• Evidence showing that antibiotic consumption impacts human bugs, causing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – and the scale of this threat
• Catering companies – who uses their services in the UK and why it matters if antibiotics are used in supply chains
• What retailers and governments are and aren’t doing to ensure food chains are antibiotic free
• How the press and celebrity ambassadors can help shine a spotlight on AMR
• What the individual shopper can do to protect themselves against AMR – especially if they are from a lower income household looking to sustain good nutrition

Read the catering report in full: https://www.saveourantibiotics.org/our-campaign/catering-companies-and-antibiotics/

Find out more about the UKST’s stance on antimicrobial use: https://sepsistrust.org/

Find out more about the work of the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics at www.saveourantibiotics.org  

United Against Infection: Conquering sepsis and AMR with Pfizer UK Senior Medical Advisor and GP Tom Ashfield

In episode 5 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST’s Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels is joined by Dr Tom Ashfield a Senior Medical Advisor at Pfizer, and a GP. Tom is an employee of Pfizer UK, his contributions reflect the work of Pfizer UK in AMR and his own experience as a doctor. Pfizer UK have undertaken content approval of this episode. 

The two doctors discuss the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the link to sepsis. They also explore the vital work of the Infection Management Coalition to put responsible antimicrobial stewardship on the agenda of global health leaders, as well as making the issue easy to understand so that patients are empowered to safeguard their own future.  

The pair cover:  

• What AMR is and how sepsis is regarded by the World Health Organization as the final common pathway to death from most untreatable infections  
• Public knowledge of AMR and what can be done to improve awareness  
• How UKST’s work has influenced Tom’s practice as a GP  
• Changes to community care following Covid-19 pandemic and impact on patients  
• Improving the way diagnostics are integrated into clinical settings 
• Tom’s experience in the pharmaceutical industry and the need for collaboration through initiatives like the Infection Management Coalition  

Find out more about the Infection Management Coalition: https://theimc.org/  

Find out more about sepsis, and the work of the UKST: https://sepsistrust.org/  

Final approval undertaken by Pfizer UK. Date of prep. August 2023; PP-UNP-GBR-6068 

Power of the Press: How the media can help combat sepsis and AMR – Editor Matthew D’Ancona’s view

In episode 4 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, UKST Founder and Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels is joined by renowned journalist and editor, Matthew D’Ancona.

Sepsis survivor Matthew is editor-at-large of The New European, as well as contributing editor to Prospect, and a columnist for The Evening Standard. He’s held previous editor roles with the Spectator, slow-news outlet, Tortoise, and is also the former deputy editor of The Sunday Telegraph.

The pair cover:

• Matthew’s personal sepsis experience and why he chose to share it with Tortoise readers
• The ways charities like UKST can ensure their causes get media coverage – and how that’s changed in a post-Covid landscape
• The representation of sepsis in other media such as popular soaps, like Coronation Street
• Delicately walking the line between empowering and scaremongering – so A&E isn’t overwhelmed by the ‘worried well’
• The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and how to ensure the public understands this
• Opportunities to get sepsis higher up on the agenda of a new government

Read Matthew’s sepsis experience here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2019/08/13/delirium-tremendous/

Find out more about sepsis: https://sepsistrust.org/about/about-sepsis/

Get sepsis support: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/

Maternal Sepsis: Mum Poppy Gibson shares her survival journey to educate other parents

In episode 3 of Sepsis Voices with Dr Ron, to mark maternal sepsis month UKST Founder & Joint CEO Dr Ron Daniels speaks to lecturer and mum Dr Poppy Gibson about her experience following the birth of her second child to raise awareness of the signs of sepsis among this at-risk group.

While anyone can get sepsis at any time, pregnant people and new mothers are particularly at risk of infection and therefore sepsis. As well as breaking down some of the stigmas around accessing support for your mental health as a new mum, the episode aims to empower parents – particularly first-time parents – to be prepared to ‘Just ask: Could it be sepsis?’ if something doesn’t feel right.

The pair cover:

• What maternal sepsis is, common causes and incidence
• Some of the commonly reported symptoms of maternal sepsis
• Poppy’s experience after giving birth to her second son
• Attachment with a new-born following sepsis
• How difficult it is to recover from sepsis - especially when you have a baby that needs you
• Support that UKST provides to sepsis survivors

Find out more about maternal sepsis: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/maternal-sepsis/

Read Poppy’s Sepsis Voices story: https://sepsistrust.org/about/about-sepsis/patient-stories/poppys-story/

Access support: https://sepsistrust.org/get-support/