Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at Whitehouse Communications, looks at NHS England’s new Sepsis modern service framework.
NHS England has published a new Sepsis modern service framework setting out its strategy for addressing a life-threatening infection in the body, which can cause significant damage to tissues and organs, and is estimated to cause around 4,000 deaths a year in England.
The NHS blueprint includes measures to give wearable devices to people at risk of sepsis which could be on their mobile phones or worn as watches or bracelets.
The devices tested by the NHS will monitor people’s vital signs at home including their blood pressure and heart rate and will automatically flag that a person’s condition has deteriorated and they need to be tested for sepsis.
People who are on immunosuppressive treatments such as some cancer patients, older people or those with a catheter or a serious mental illness are at higher risk of sepsis.
NHS figures show there were more than 118,000 emergency admissions for sepsis in 2024/25.
People have a far better chance of survival if sepsis is detected quickly – for every hour of delayed treatment, the risk of death increases by up to 8%.
Some hospitals have begun giving wearable tech to inpatients at risk of sepsis to detect the deadly infection.
Cancer patients receiving CAR T cell therapy treatment at University College London Hospitals wear a device on their chest which measures heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature – known risk factors for sepsis and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) as part of a clinical trial.
Once the device detects concerning symptoms, NHS clinicians are alerted to undertake a rapid review, which will enable them to quickly administer life-saving antibiotics to treat any infection.
Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, NHS England’s Deputy Medical Director, said: “Every year, sepsis causes of tens of thousands of deaths, and leaves thousands more with long-term disabilities, so it’s vital the NHS has an ambitious plan to reduce this harm over the next decade.
“Key to tackling sepsis is catching it early – the longer sepsis goes undetected the less chance a person has to survive or make a full recovery.
“That’s why the NHS will be trialling new wearable devices that will allow people’s vital signs to be monitored at home – so that if they deteriorate, they can get tested and treated faster.
“It is vital that everyone is aware of the signs of sepsis which can include difficulty breathing, a dramatic change in temperature, or not peeing for a time – so please do not hesitate calling 999 immediately if you or someone you know has these symptoms, and you can also find out more at nhs.uk/sepsis.”
The NHS blueprint includes work starting immediately to improve how care is delivered across the service, and an ambitious programme of research and innovation to develop new technologies which will improve how quickly and accurately clinicians can detect and treat sepsis.
Today’s modern service framework for sepsis is one of several new strategies the NHS is publishing to improve patient outcomes for major conditions.
The frameworks sit alongside a new Quality strategy also published recently which aims to improve the safety, effectiveness, and experience of care across all NHS settings.
Minister for Patient Safety Preet Gill said: “Sepsis is a devastating and sometimes fatal condition. Behind every case is a patient and a family, and we have heard too many heartbreaking examples where signs of deterioration were not recognised quickly enough.
“Families who have turned unimaginable loss into action have helped drive a fundamental change in how we think about patient safety, ensuring patients and loved ones are listened to, concerns are acted on, and the NHS learns when things go wrong”.
Dr Ron Daniels, Founder and Chief Medical Officer at the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “Today’s publication of the sepsis modern service framework marks significant progress for patient safety and takes an essential step towards saving more lives from sepsis and improving outcomes for survivors.
“At the UK Sepsis Trust, we welcome plans to increase delivery of sepsis recognition and severe infection management; the integration of rapid and point-of-care diagnostics; and wearable technologies; alongside strengthened support for survivors and enhanced, high-quality data”.
The Author used AI in preparing this article. Comments upon or questions about this article can be addressed to chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com.
