Sepsis Awareness at Sheffield Children’s

At Sheffield Children’s, we are dedicated to raising awareness of sepsis and improving the provision of timely, effective treatment for children, young people and families. 

Throughout the past year we have launched a comprehensive programme of work to empower colleagues and families to recognise children who are deteriorating and to take important action to help save their lives. We have strengthened training for staff, introduced clearer clinical guidance, and implemented new tools to aid early recognition of sepsis.

We are also one of 143 NHS Trusts implementing a pilot of Martha’s Rule – a major patient safety initiative designed to empower families to request an urgent review of their loved ones’ care if they are concerned.

Helen Philliskirk recently joined Sheffield Children’s Chief Executive Ruth Brown to introduce a new sepsis resource featuring her son James’ story. James  died from preventable sepsis aged 16 months in May 2022.

The banner will be shared by our dedicated Lead Sepsis Nurse in training events across South Yorkshire and a digital version will be shown on screens at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, seen by thousands of families each year, to inform sepsis awareness.

All the ongoing work by many colleagues across Sheffield Children’s is grounded in learning from families, clinical reviews, and national best practice. Most importantly, it continues to be led by the memory of children like James and Martha, who  died from preventable sepsis here in Sheffield and in London.

Helen, James’ mum, said: “James  was misdiagnosed and therefore mistreated, our concerns as parents were not acted upon, safety netting advice was not provided, meaning there were a plethora of missed opportunities to save his life. His death was preventable, and nothing will ever make this right.

“At the time these photos were taken, the banner (or posters of the banner) was intended for display in the Emergency Department to educate parents and carers about sepsis and empower them to ask vital questions. That decision has since been reversed, and the banner will now be used for education purposes. Our work with Sheffield Children’s Hospital has always been driven by a desire to ensure James’s name, story, and legacy lead to lasting change. James adored babies and young children, and it felt profoundly fitting that his legacy would help to keep them safer. We now hope Sheffield Children’s Hospital will find meaningful and honest ways to share James’s story within the Emergency Department, where awareness is urgently needed to save lives.”

Ruth Brown, Chief Executive, said: “Listening to the families of children and young people, as those who know them the best, is a critical part of our care. We know how important this is along with making sure that the early detection of sepsis is something that is at the forefront of our minds, and that we highlight the importance of timely treatment when treating sepsis. We are making steps in the right direction, whilst there is more to do we have made significant progress over the last year to take on an improved approach. We want to do everything we can to minimise other parents and loved ones having to suffer the loss that James’ parents have.”

Dr Ron Daniels, Executive Director of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “Although sepsis is thankfully rarer in children than in adults, it still counts for a few hundred deaths each year in the UK. More than half of these deaths are in children with underlying conditions, including physical conditions and learning disability.

“It is essential that we listen to parents and carers concerns and Martha’s Rule is an important initiative as part of this. We also welcome the huge effort toward improving outcomes from sepsis at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust including new training programs and resources for staff, as well as appointing a Sepsis Nurse and providing new resources. Initiatives like this play a key role in improving outcomes and saving lives.”

Find out more about the signs and symptoms of sepsis on our website: https://library.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/spotting-the-unwell-child/

• Following the appointment of our Lead Sepsis Nurse sepsis education is ongoing across the Sheffield Children’s and with the Early Help Partnership Services
• We are continuing our work to implement learning tools and initiatives to continually improve our performance in early recognition and timely treatment of sepsis.
• To educate our families on the signs of sepsis, information leaflets are included in take home medications and for all new births in the city, sepsis information is now included in the red book.
• We have strengthened and refreshed our policies and guidelines, and our Lead Sepsis Nurse is part of the implementation group for Martha’s Rule.