A new report released today by the Health Quality &
Safety Commission (the Commission) highlights variation in
the way sepsis is managed and monitored in New
Zealand.
Commission clinical lead in the infection
prevention and control programme, Dr Arthur Morris, says
that the findings of a nationwide stocktake about the
management of sepsis in Aotearoa New Zealand highlights the
need for a coordinated national response to
sepsis.
‘Early recognition and treatment of sepsis
can save lives. Having a consistent, equitable approach to
the detection, management and reporting of sepsis would make
a real difference for patients and their whānau and the
wider health care sector,’ he says.
The stocktake
was designed to build a foundation for understanding sepsis
management in Aotearoa New Zealand. It looked at the current
clinical practices, guidance and protocols used at public
hospitals, private surgical hospitals, ambulance services
and a selection of emergency and urgent care
clinics.
‘It’s timely that we are releasing this
report on 13 September, which is also World Sepsis Day. It
is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight
against sepsis and highlight this important patient safety
issue,’ says Dr Morris.
The report makes several
recommendations for action, which focus on keeping patients
at the centre of sepsis planning, from prevention to
post-discharge support. Other recommendations
include:
– creating a national steering group to
progress the New Zealand National Sepsis Action Plan
–
standardising approaches to the prevention, recognition and
treatment of sepsis
– collecting and monitoring of
data at a national and organisation level
–
establishing roles to improve sepsis management and
outcomes
– developing education and training
–
improving resources for consumers
– increasing support
for patients and their whānau after hospital
discharge.
The Commission will review the findings and
engage with key stakeholders to determine next steps, and
identify quality improvement opportunities to support the
progression of the National Sepsis Action Plan.
‘The
Commission would like to thank everyone involved in the
stocktake for giving their time so generously to this
important work,’ says Dr Morris.
The report is
available to download from the Commission’s website: https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/resources/resource-library/stocktake-of-sepsis-management-in-aotearoa-new-zealand.
For
more information about sepsis in Aotearoa New Zealand and
the National Sepsis Action Plan visit the Sepsis Trust NZ
website: https://www.sepsis.org.nz.
World
Sepsis Day resources can be found on the World Sepsis Day
website: https://www.worldsepsisday.org/wsd2022.
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