Sepsis is claiming too many lives as hospitals are making the same mistakes as a decade ago, ombudsman warns

Sepsis is still claiming too many lives as hospitals make the same mistakes they made a decade ago, the health ombudsman has warned.

Rob Behrens said some progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment since his office published the groundbreaking Time to Act report in 2013.

But his research has shown that some lessons are still not learned and that repeated mistakes cost lives.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment, poor communication and administration, and missed opportunities for follow-up care are among the failures identified.

A new report from the ombudsman – Spotlight on Sepsis: Your Stories, Your Rights – concludes that ‘significant improvements are urgently needed to prevent more fatalities’.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment, poor communication and administration, and missed opportunities for follow-up care are among the shortcomings identified

It says there are many tragic cases where patients have died, but the outcome could have been different if they or their families had been listened to.

According to the UK Sepsis Trust, approximately 48,000 deaths are attributed to sepsis each year.

Sepsis, known as the ‘silent killer’, strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning triggers a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.

If the infection is caught early, it can be controlled with antibiotics before the body goes into overdrive.

But early symptoms can easily be confused with milder conditions, meaning it can be difficult to diagnose.

And a patient can deteriorate quickly, so prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical.

The Mail’s End the Sepsis Scandal campaign helped raise awareness of the symptoms, in an effort to reduce the number of missed cases.

It led to the publication of NHS quality standards for sepsis, but the new report shows there is still some way to go.

Sepsis, known as the ‘silent killer’, strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning triggers a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs

Mr Behrens said: ‘It frustrates and saddens me that the same mistakes we highlighted ten years ago continue to occur.

‘The NHS must listen to patients and their families when they raise their concerns. It has to be sepsis aware.”

Melissa Mead, whose one-year-old son William died of sepsis in 2014 after doctors dismissed concerns, peer-reviewed the report.

She said: ‘I think this report, nine years after William’s death, really exposes the incidence of sepsis cases.

‘Too many lives are being lost in avoidable circumstances.’

The Health Minister has promised to introduce ‘Martha’s rule’ to give patients the right to a second opinion.

Steve Barclay made his pledge after meeting Merope Mills, whose daughter Martha, 13, developed sepsis and died after doctors refused to admit her to intensive care.