NHS England launches 10-year framework to cut sepsis deaths by 25%

NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have published a new Sepsis Modern Service Framework, setting out a 10-year plan to improve the prevention, identification, treatment and recovery of people with sepsis across England.

The framework aims to reduce deaths, life-threatening complications and the long-term impact of sepsis and severe infections by at least 25% by 2035, while also tackling the inequalities that leave some groups at greater risk of poor outcomes.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s abnormal response to infection, which can lead to organ failure if not recognised and treated quickly. NHS England says the condition remains difficult to diagnose because there is no single definitive test and symptoms often overlap with other illnesses. Delays in recognition and treatment continue to contribute to avoidable harm and deaths.

The framework highlights the scale of the challenge facing the NHS. During 2024/25, there were 133,484 hospital admissions recorded with a primary diagnosis of sepsis, although officials believe the true number of cases is likely to be higher. Patients admitted with sepsis stayed in hospital for an average of 14 days, while around one in ten required critical care. Sepsis care cost the NHS £1.037 billion during the year, with infection care across acute wards costing a further £6.7 billion.

NHS England has identified several groups that experience poorer outcomes, including babies, older people, people living in more deprived communities, those with serious mental illness, people experiencing homelessness, and some people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Reducing these inequalities forms a key part of the strategy.

The plan is built around six priorities: delivering more personalised care, improving public and staff understanding of sepsis, preventing severe infections wherever possible, identifying sepsis earlier, ensuring rapid escalation of deteriorating patients, and providing timely, effective treatment followed by appropriate recovery and rehabilitation support.

Digital technology and research are expected to play an increasingly important role over the next decade. Planned developments include better use of NHS data to identify people at higher risk, faster diagnostic testing, enhanced digital monitoring for deteriorating patients, and, in the longer term, artificial intelligence and genomics to support earlier diagnosis and more personalised treatment.

The framework also emphasises the need to balance rapid antibiotic treatment with efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance. NHS England says improving diagnostics and ensuring antibiotics are used appropriately will be essential to achieving both better sepsis outcomes and responsible antimicrobial stewardship.

Delivery of the programme will be overseen by a new Sepsis Modern Service Framework Implementation Steering Group, with annual reviews to assess progress and update priorities as evidence and clinical practice evolve.

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