The NHS ombudsman has raised concerns over the increasing number of patients harmed or dying from sepsis due to medical negligence.
Despite repeated warnings, hospitals continue to fail in diagnosing and treating sepsis promptly, which kills around 48,000 people annually in the UK.
England’s health ombudsman, Rebecca Hilsenrath, criticised the NHS for its “defensive culture” and failure to learn from past mistakes. During 2023-24, her office investigated 44 cases related to sepsis, marking a 76% increase from 2020-21. Hilsenrath warned that avoidable deaths continue, despite multiple reports urging improvements in sepsis care.
A Rise in Sepsis Complaints
Hilsenrath highlighted that medical malpractice, including delays in diagnosis, poor communication, and missed follow-up care, remains widespread. “We continue to see mistakes happening. Failures include delays in diagnosis and treatment, poor communication and record-keeping, and missed opportunities for follow-up care,” she said.
Her concerns stem from the rise in investigations, despite major reports on sepsis care being published in 2013 and 2023. Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, requires immediate attention, but hospitals have repeatedly failed to meet guidelines.
Severe Consequences of Medical Negligence
Recent investigations into medical negligence revealed alarming cases, including a woman at Derby and Burton NHS Trust who died after sepsis was diagnosed nine days late, and a GP who failed to spot sepsis symptoms in a 75-year-old man, leading to his death, The Guardian reports.
Dr. Ron Daniels of the UK Sepsis Trust noted that since the pandemic, the NHS has failed to return to pre-pandemic levels of sepsis monitoring. “The NHS is now letting people with suspected sepsis fall through the net with alarming regularity,” he said. He urged the NHS to treat sepsis as seriously as heart attacks and strokes.
Hilsenrath stressed the need for an overhaul in NHS attitudes towards sepsis. She pointed out a lack of “honesty, accountability, and responsibility” when errors occur, resulting in fatal outcomes. While the NHS stated that sepsis-related mistakes are “rare,” the rise in complaints suggests that opportunities to save lives are still being missed.
Medical Negligence Reports
Do you have a client that has experienced something similar?
Here at UKExpertMedical, we appreciate how traumatic these cases can be. Our team will always act in the best interests of the client and solicitor to prepare medical negligence reports as quickly as possible, in order that the claim can progress to a prompt conclusion.
Whether you need assistance with medical negligence record in relation to birth injury, gp errors or other clinical negligence enquiries, please get in touch with us today.
