Campaign launches to inform people in Cornwall the signs of sepsis
Mum Melissa Mead MBE is working with the UK Sepsis Trust and the Royal Cornwall Hospital to give leaflets to patients at Treliske
A campaign has launched to inform more people about the crucial signs of sepsis in Cornwall, as our NHS faces continued high pressures.
Mum Melissa Mead MBE, is urging people to become aware of the signs and symptoms of sepsis, after her one year old son William died from sepsis following an infection in 2014.
Leaflets will be given to patients discharged at the Royal Cornwall Hospital as part of a pilot project to help people notice signs before it's too late. It's hoped the messaging will reach around 18,0000 people - which is the amount of patients discharged from Treliske across a six year period.
Melissa Mead MBE, sepsis campaigner, said: "Symptoms that William experienced, he was sort of pale, cold, mottled skin. There are a number of symptoms. The reason sepsis does get missed quite a lot is you always have the symptoms of that infection.
"It could be the difference between life and death"
"There's been phenomenal changes since William died. I think the biggest difference between then and now is the increase in public awareness.
"I did not know what sepsis was, I had never heard of it. Like most people when they become poorly, you don't fear and you don't expect that you or your loved one is dying".
Figures show sepsis affects 250 thousand people across the UK every year - and takes the lives of three every second across the world.
Since Melissa first starting campaigning, around 80% of people are now aware of what sepsis is - but she said the understanding of what to do, where to go and exactly what the symptoms are still need to be improved.
Melissa told us: "The difficulty with the healthcare system at the moment, we are seeing more emergencies, we're seeing more people not coming out the other end.
"What we need to do is raise public awareness so people can be more aware about sepsis, they can make more informed decisions about their journey of illness and to go and get help so they don't become septic so they don't need the front door of the hospital, so hopefully they can get treated in the community".
Melissa wrote: "Adults and children are still dying unnecessarily, and sadly it is mostly due to clinicians simply not thinking sepsis. This could be because of system pressures, it could be a lack of staff, it could be a system that is on its knees, but that doesn’t make it right for the one who slips through the net. Like William
"We will keep campaigning, we will keep educating healthcare professionals, we will keep raising awareness. Someone today said that we’re amazing, and I appreciate that, but we’re not alone, together we will keep fighting this fight".
The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust will be offering leaflets about sepsis including what to look for, what to do if you experience symptoms, what looks looks like and information about resources and support. The leaflets will be put in patient discharge kits for all patients leaving the hospital.
You can find out more about sepsis, symptoms and other campaigns on the UK Sepsis Trust website.