Improving Sepsis Detection and Patient Outcomes: The Power of Ward Champions and Training Innovation

Jay Townsend┃4 mins┃May 2025

In the ongoing effort to improve sepsis outcomes, education, collaboration and innovation remain crucial. With this in mind, Michael Nertney, Chair of the UK Sepsis Practitioner Forum and a clinical educator at South Tees NHS Foundation Trust, spoke at our recent Sepsis Patient Care Conference 2025. His session focused on enhancing sepsis detection and patient care through a network of ward champions, using robust training programmes and diagnostic innovations. His insights highlighted how leadership, vigilance and development can have a transformative impact across the NHS.

Understanding Sepsis and its Impact

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency where the body responds to infection in a way that causes injury to its own tissues and organs. It can lead to organ dysfunction and potentially death. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for survival. Most often, sepsis is caused by bacterial infections, but viruses, fungi and traumatic injuries can also cause it. Common symptoms include fever, chills, fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, confusion and body pain and it is typically treated with antibiotics and intravenous fluids.

The UK Sepsis Practitioner Forum: A Foundation for Collaboration

The UK Sepsis Practitioner Forum began in 2012 as a grassroots initiative aimed at uniting the small but growing number of sepsis-focused nurses across the UK. Founded by Jacqui Jones and Paul Drew and supported from the outset by clinical leaders such as Ron Daniels, the forum provided a critical space for peer support, collaboration, and shared learning.

Today, it has evolved into a network for both sepsis and deteriorating patient practitioners. The Forum maintains a rich resource hub, offers bi-monthly meetings, and fosters dialogue through its online discussion platform – serving as a cornerstone for professional development and community-building in sepsis care.

Building a Workforce of Sepsis Champions

“Health and wellbeing champions are individuals who work at all levels of the NHS, from all demographics and roles, who will promote, identify and signpost their colleagues to local and national health and wellbeing support offers.  This is intended to be taken on as a responsibility in addition to their day to day role.” (NHS England)

Understanding that early recognition and intervention are key to preventing poor outcomes in sepsis, South Tees NHS Foundation Trust launched a structured program to recruit and train ward champions. This initiative began with a comprehensive scoping exercise to assess which clinical areas would benefit most and where staff engagement could be leveraged. The initial focus was on front-line settings (emergency departments and acute wards) where the majority of sepsis cases are discovered.

This was followed by a training needs analysis, which revealed significant gaps in awareness and consistency, compounded by the lack of a national sepsis screening tool. Each trust had been responding to sepsis differently. The ward champion initiative aimed to address this variation through a standardised approach, bringing the national strategy when dealing with sepsis in-line. 

Similarly, our Clinical Auditing Conference is an upcoming opportunity to learn about ensuring quality and standards of patient care in the UK.

Education That Embeds Change

The next step was educating – ensuring that ward champions were equipped with the correct strategies and theory to deal with sepsis. Participants are guided through a bespoke competency framework and supplied with tools such as assessments and ongoing access to the acute and sepsis teams for mentorship.

This is not a one-off effort: champions are required to attend annual refresher sessions. Over five years, this structure has helped to embed sepsis vigilance and escalation protocols deeply into clinical practice, across adult, pediatric, and maternity settings.

Importantly, the champion role contributes to individual professional development, while reinforcing accountability and expertise at ward level

From Audit to Education: Champion Responsibilities

Champions are expected to conduct local audits. They check whether rapid sepsis screening and escalation protocols are being followed appropriately. These audits ensure that standards don’t slip across the NHS network. Leading to a culture of constant vigilance.

They also provide educational outreach, sharing knowledge with peers, offering informal mentoring, and acting as a local point of contact for surrounding clinical areas. This peer-to-peer model helps dismantle the anxiety often felt when senior educators arrive on the ward. This makes learning more accessible and grounded.

By promoting clinical ownership of ward performance, the initiative transforms sepsis management into a shared responsibility rather than a top-down directive.

Celebrating Good Practice

One of the most powerful messages Michael Nertney delivered was the need to shift NHS culture towards celebrating excellence. He noted that healthcare often focuses heavily on mistakes and adverse outcomes, which can demoralise staff and undermine morale. The champion model encourages sharing examples of excellence, fostering a culture of optimism and motivation. Recognising good practice not only boosts staff confidence but also promotes best practice adoption more widely.

Real-World Outcomes and Expansion

The program’s impact is measurable. To date, South Tees NHS Foundation Trust has trained and embedded over 100 ward champions. Competencies initially developed for these champions have now been incorporated into trust-wide preceptorship pathways, ensuring that all new starters are equipped with core sepsis awareness and response skills.

The initiative’s success has also enabled the recruitment of an additional educator and prompted plans to integrate Enhanced Care Competencies aligned with the National Outreach Forum, further strengthening the organisation’s capacity to respond to deteriorating patients. This benefits all parties. Patients receive better care and workers can learn the best strategies for responding to Sepsis, enhancing their own knowledge and professional development.

Diagnostics: Improving the Tools of Detection

Alongside education, Michael Nertney emphasised the role of innovation in diagnostics. Technologies like point-of-care lactate monitoring and procalcitonin testing can support faster identification and targeted antibiotic prescribing. Used correctly, they reduce diagnostic uncertainty and avoid unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

He acknowledged the growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection – an exciting but emerging field. There is the potential for AI to rewrite the narrative on complex issues like Sepsis recognition and treatment, but it is still early days. With the current trajectory of AI development, the entire healthcare rulebook could be re-written within the next 5-10 years.

Addressing System-Wide Pressures

To alleviate pressure on critical care beds and reduce delays, South Tees NHS Foundation Trust introduced an Impact Nurse role – responsible for triaging patients even while they are in ambulance queues. These nurses initiate treatment in non-traditional spaces if necessary, ensuring no time is lost.

Digital dashboards have also been adopted to give real-time organisational oversight. These help specialist teams monitor cases remotely and direct their support to the areas of greatest need. This approach, Michael Nertney noted, optimises resource allocation and enhances responsiveness.

To conclude, Michael Nertney’s session offered an inspiring, practical blueprint for how NHS trusts can improve sepsis detection and outcomes through strategic investment in people, training, and tools. The ward champion model demonstrates that change happens not just through policy, but by empowering clinical staff to lead from within.

By combining innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to education, Michael Nertney believes that trusts can build a competent, motivated workforce—one that is equipped to save lives through earlier recognition and better-coordinated care.

This information comes from a presentation Michael Nertney gave on our Sepsis Patient Care Conference 2025. We have a plethora of insightful conferences in the near future, with opportunities to learn, network and make meaningful change – whether institutional or personal.