Sepsis worsened by ‘crippling’ lack of data, YHEC concludes

A study conducted by the York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) has warned the scale of sepsis is ‘far worse’ than previously thought because of a ‘crippling’ lack of data which has meant previous estimates were wide off the mark.

The YHEC found that there are at least 260,000 cases of sepsis in the UK each year, 100,000 more than previously thought.

The blood poisoning disease can lead to rapid organ failure if not identified and treated quickly, leaving thousands of survivors with life-changing disabilities, with current statistics showing more than 44,000 people across the country die annually from the condition.

The study, which was commissioned by the UK Sepsis Trust, found: sepsis is likely to cost £15.6 billion a year, rather than the previous estimate of £2.5 billion; savings of up to £2.8 billion could be made by improving sepsis care; mortality and long-term complications due to delayed diagnosis and treatment of sepsis patients is resulting in billions of pounds worth of lost productivity; and thousands of lives could be saved through government intervention to improve access to healthcare and the reliability of basis care.

Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, commented: ”It's sobering to learn that the issue is so much greater than previously estimated. Equally sobering, though, is the dearth of reliable data recorded for a condition that carries such an overwhelming costs in human and economic terms.

Daniels added: "We've long been aware that sepsis causes thousands of unnecessary deaths every year and presents an unmanageable economic burden.

"A crippling paucity of data has thus far confined us to conservative estimates, but the figures reported in YHEC's study are a shocking new indication of the gravity and sheer scale of the problem. It's imperative that the government acts decisively to develop a national 'sepsis registry' and introduces coding practices for sepsis in all NHS trusts.

"A precise understanding of how the NHS handles sepsis is urgently required to prevent avoidable deaths, improve outcomes for survivors and save billions of pounds for the UK as a whole."