Sepsis awareness: government to act

A new Scotland-wide awareness-raising campaign on the dangers of sepsis has been announced by Health Secretary Shona Robison. Ms Robison made the announcement following a meeting with the sepsis awareness charity Fiona Elizabeth Agnew Trust (FEAT) yesterday.

The campaign will raise awareness amongst Scots of the often-silent symptoms of the condition, which can be fatal if not caught in time. It will also complement the work already being done by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) through the Scottish Patient Safety Programme to raise awareness both among clinical practitioners and clinicians.

The Health Secretary said: “The Scottish Government has always been committed to raising awareness of the dangers of sepsis and this meeting was an important step in formalising our plans for a dedicated campaign.

“I was delighted to meet with FEAT and to discuss next steps. It is clear from our meeting that a marketing and awareness campaign is a sensible next step.

“While mortality rates have fallen by 21% since 2012, there’s still more to be done. I hope our campaign will play its part in equipping the public with a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of this awful condition.”

FEAT’s Craig Stobo said: “”FEAT welcomes today’s meeting and the announcement by the Health Secretary of the national sepsis awareness campaign for Scotland. This will help raise people’s awareness of this major public health issue, save lives and improve patients’ outcomes. 

“This is just the beginning of a long road ahead. We look forward to working further with the Scottish Government to consolidate the recent, welcome fall in deaths from sepsis; with a focus on continuous improvement to ensure there is safe, consistent care for all sepsis patients across Scotland.”

Final details on the scope and timings of the marketing campaign will be available in due course, but an initial proposal has identified channels to use throughout the campaign, including radio, press and outdoor advertising, which will reach more than 1.2 million people. The Scottish Government will also utilise existing arrangement with more than 1,200 community pharmacies across the country to maximise the number of people who will see this campaign.