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General debate on world sepsis awareness month

The subject for this debate has been chosen by the Back Bench Business Committee and will be opened by Mike Woods MP, Lee Anderson MP and Jim Dickson MP. Mike Woods is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sepsis, in his proposal for the debate he told the committee "sepsis claims the lives of more than 48,000 people in the UK each year". 

September is world sepsis awareness month. World sepsis day occurs annually on 13 September to raise awareness of sepsis worldwide. The theme for 2026, “Invest in Sepsis – Save Lives” sets out the case for urgent investment in prevention, early detection and innovation to prevent deaths from sepsis.

The World Health Organization, has said that sepsis is one of the most frequent causes of death world-wide. According to NHS England, sepsis “claims more lives than lung cancer, and is the second biggest killer after cardiovascular disease.”

What is sepsis?

Sepsis (also known as blood poisoning) is a potentially life-threatening condition which arises when the body overreacts to an infection and starts to damage its own tissues and organs. It can develop quickly and requires urgent medical attention.

The exact cause of sepsis is unknown but is thought to occur when a person’s immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage body tissues and organs.

If not treated promptly, sepsis can lead to septic shock, nerve damage, organ failure or death.

Sepsis can affect anyone, but people who are older, very young, pregnant or have other health problems are at higher risk.

The debate briefing provides further information on: who can get sepsis, the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, statistics on incidence and government policy as well as press and parliamentary material.

NHS guidance on sepsis

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) publishes clinical guidelines for use in the NHS. NICE has published three separate guideline documents on suspected sepsis:

• Suspected sepsis in people aged 16 and over: recognition, assessment and early management (November 2025, last reviewed December 2025)
• Suspected sepsis in under 16s: recognition, diagnosis and early management (November 2025, last reviewed March 2026)
• Suspected sepsis in pregnant or recently pregnant people: recognition, diagnosis and early management (November 2025, last reviewed March 2026)

Sepsis care in other countries

The World sepsis day website has information on sepsis management in other countries, including toolkits to help raise awareness of the condition.

The World Health Organization has developed guidelines on the Clinical management of sepsis (January 2024) to support member states in the prevention and management of the condition.

Examples of sepsis care in France, Sweden and Australia are outlined in the briefing