A STRATEGY to tackle sepsis in care homes has received national praise.

The county council's sepsis strategy for Lancashire care homes 2017-2020 was handed the runners up award presentation at the UK Sepsis Trust Sepsis Unplugged Conference.

Sepsis is a life threatening condition which claims more lives than breast, bowel and lung cancer combined - and older people are at greater risk.

The number of sepsis cases is increasing year on year and this is set to continue.

To tackle the problem, the council has been offering free training sessions for staff in Lancashire's residential and nursing care homes since September last year.

Reducing the risk of infections, identifying the signs of sepsis early and referring residents for time critical care using standardised reporting are some of the topics covered in the training

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, director of public health for Lancashire County Council, said sepsis can be 'fatal' and early treatment of anyone affected is 'crucial.

"Sepsis is triggered by other illnesses such as lung and urinary tract infections and flu.

"It spreads through the blood and if not treated quickly, leads to a dramatic fall in blood pressure, organ failure and can be fatal."

County councillor Shaun Turner, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "Our infection prevention and control team has come up with a new and innovative way of tackling sepsis in Lancashire's care homes.

"It's great that this has received national recognition with the Sepsis Unplugged runners up award.

"Sepsis can affect anyone, but elderly people are a particularly high-risk group, which is why it's so important that care home staff have the know-how to identify the condition quickly and give accurate information to NHS staff.

"The sooner people are treated, the better the chance of recovery and this strategy is crucial in speeding up the whole process.

"This award is a superb achievement and shows the team's hard work is paying off."

"Congratulations to Jane Mastin, our infection prevention nurse who developed the strategy and the training sessions and who was presented with the award."

People have been urged to be aware of the symptoms of sepsis using the acronym SEPSIS 'S' slurred speech, 'E' extreme shivering or muscle pain, 'P' passing no urine (in a day), 'S' severe breathlessness, 'I' ‘I feel like I may die’ and 'S' Skin mottled or discoloured.

News of the award comes as the number of maternity patients with potentially deadly sepsis has risen in East Lancashire.

Eight mothers in East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT) maternal units had the illness in 2011 compared to 29 in 2017.

Between 2011 and 2017, there were 136 maternity patients with sepsis, in which the body's response to infection injuries its own tissues and organs.

Staff from care homes who want to book a place on the sepsis training and development courses should email infectionprevention@lancashire.gov.uk for more details.

For more information about the work of the county council's infection control team, visit their twitter page at: @LancsIPC.