Initiative to protect children from sepsis is extended to schools

The UK Sepsis Trust (UKST) and Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF) will be extending their Sepsis Savvy awareness campaign to schools at The Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham.

Developed in collaboration with education professionals, the new resources comprise free, downloadable lesson plans and resources for all key stages, intended to help protect students and their families against the life-threatening condition associated with one in five deaths worldwide.

Carefully curated to each appropriate age group, the comprehensive Sepsis Savvy Schools lesson plans are informative and interactive, and include educational videos, teaching resources and an animation narrated by UKST 's ambassador, Harry Potter and Star Wars actor, Warwick Davis.

The campaign is also supported by TV medic, Paediatrician and UKST Ambassador Dr Ranj.

The resources sensitively empower and enable students to safeguard themselves and their families with potentially life-saving knowledge about sepsis and what to do if they suspect it.

Sepsis - the body 's over-reaction to any infection or injury, which causes the immune system to attack its own organs - affects over 245,000 people every year in the UK.

Some of the most common causes are urinary tract infections, infected cuts or bites, a wound from trauma or recent surgery, and chest infections.

If not caught quickly, sepsis can result in organ failure, amputation and death.

However, with early diagnosis it can be treated with intravenous antibiotics and fluids, and the outlook is often good for the majority of patients who seek urgent medical attention.

Dr Ron Daniels (pictured), CEO and founder of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “Sepsis strikes indiscriminately, affecting the young and old and the previously fit and healthy. It 's not enough for only healthcare professionals to know about sepsis, we want everyone to be able to recognise the signs and protect themselves. ”

Tarsem Dhaliwal, CEO of Iceland Foods and Trustee of IFCF, said “We 're thrilled to have played our part in the Sepsis Savvy Schools campaign. We 're confident that this new initiative will educate an unprecedented number of schoolchildren and their families about sepsis and the signs to look out for. ”

Parents and teachers can find out more information on how to get involved.