Sepsis Misdiagnosis: A Persistent Patient Safety Risk

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has once again brought to light the devastating consequences of delayed sepsis diagnosis in its latest series of reports. Despite years of awareness campaigns and clinical guidance, the early recognition of sepsis remains an “urgent and persistent safety risk”.

The HSSIB’s investigation into three tragic cases reveals systemic failings across multiple healthcare settings, from GP out-of-hours services and care homes to acute hospital wards. These cases are not isolated incidents and sadly reflect broader patterns of missed opportunities, communication breakdowns, and a failure to act on early warning signs.

The HSSIB reports highlight the urgent need for systemic change. HSSIB rightly calls for better integration of care systems, improved clinical training, and a culture that listens to patients and their families.

As solicitors specialising in clinical negligence, we regularly support families who have suffered unimaginable loss or life-altering injuries due to failures in sepsis care. These cases often involve:

• Delays in administering antibiotics
• Failure to escalate care or transfer patients appropriately
• Inadequate monitoring and review by clinicians
• Dismissal of concerns raised by family members.

Gemma Bedford, clinical negligence lawyer at Freeths said: “This report is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can arise from delays in recognising and treating sepsis. I have seen firsthand the profound impact these failures have on patients and their families throughout my career, and most alarmingly – the numbers continue to rise. This highlights the systemic issues at play, seen time and time again particularly the failure to act on family concerns.  Urgent improvements are imperative to ensure that fatalities are reduced and that these horrendous incidences do not continue to occur.”

We represent many families affected by failures to diagnose and treat sepsis in a timely manner. In recent years, we have seen the number of enquiries increasing, and we welcome anyone with concerns to approach us to discuss how we might be able to help.

Our goal is to ensure that patients and their families have answers and clarity around the events which have taken place, and we strive for accountability from the responsible Trust to try and prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future.