A new learning package aimed at improving the rates of accurate diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in children has been launched by Health Education England (HEE).

The ‘Think Sepsis’ programme to identify and manage sepsis in paediatrics is a new type of training for clinicians which can be used in face to face sessions or independently through elearning.

The learning package is case-based and comprises of interviews with the parents of three children affected by sepsis – Melissa Mead, whose son William died, Jason Watkins and Clara Francis, whose daughter Maude died, and Katie Maryon-Wilson, whose daughter Rosie survived.

The films follow the patient journey from diagnosis to treatment, as the parents each talk about their experience of sepsis, their child’s treatment and diagnosis of the condition and the impact that it has had on their families.

Clinical experts also feature in the training to offer guidance in spotting the difficult to spot signs of sepsis in children and the best practice response to effectively treat this life-threatening condition.

The videos are complemented with teaching notes and a training guide that can enhance learning and contribute to CPD.

The training is hosted on HEE’s elearning for healthcare platform and is free to access for all staff in NHS and social care. It has a new enhanced feature, in that it can be used as an elearning package, whilst also being suitable to be delivered in a classroom setting by trainers and facilitators. It is being promoted widely around our local offices and training hubs.

The new materials were showcased at the House of Commons where MP Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State for Care, welcomed the elearning package as a revolutionary approach to tackling sepsis diagnosis and treatment.

The Minister of State for Care said: “Education and training is the golden thread in improving recognition, treatment and positive outcomes of sepsis in children. We are working with Health Education England to make sure all health professionals have the knowledge and skills to identify and treat sepsis.

With hospital care quality and patient safety as a responsibility, I’m very pleased to celebrate this new approach in training and education in paediatric sepsis”.

Following several high-profile cases of child deaths due to sepsis, the Secretary of State recognised the need for the NHS to radically improve the diagnosis and care for patients suffering from the condition.

It’s estimated that there are around 123,000 cases of sepsis each year in England, with around 1,000 of these cases reported in children under five, which the eLearning package aims to reduce by supporting health and social care professionals through training and personal development.

Wendy Reid, Director of Education and Quality and National Medical Director for Health Education England said: “The new ‘Think Sepsis’ materials show just how important HEE’s role is in education and how it can lead to saving patients’ lives. Sepsis is a hugely important topic in both children and adults and this new educational resource, which is available to all health and social care professionals, can help improve diagnoses and treatment rates for patients”.

HEE has worked collaboratively across the healthcare system through the HEE Sepsis working group with several Royal Colleges, the UK Sepsis Trust charity, Public Health England and patient representatives to produce the learning materials.

The ‘Think Sepsis’ elearning package is free and available to all NHS healthcare professionals through HEE’s elearning for healthcare website.