Worcestershire Acute finds sepsis screening issues related to EPR
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has flagged issues in the way that real time recording of observations from sepsis patients are captured on its electronic patient record (EPR).
Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency which can lead to potential organ failure and death if not treated quickly.
In a Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust board paper, published on 31 March 2025, Sarah Shingler, chief nursing officer, and Jules Walton, acting chief medical officer, at the trust said that “sepsis screening had been a challenge since the introduction of the EPR” with clinical and digital leads collaborating on a solution.
They added that “sepsis screening work has been restructured with renewed engagement, and a combined plan between clinical and digital teams is being developed to address training needs and documentation issues”.
The trust deployed Altera Digital Health’s Sunrise EPR across its three hospital sites in 2023 onto adult inpatient wards, and into emergency departments in November 2024.
The board paper states that the trust board “noted that this [sepsis screening] was a longstanding issue but noted that mortality remained within the normal range and the issue related to data management rather than a clinical issue”.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals told Digital Health News: “Although we are assured that we continue to provide good care for sepsis patients who experience a deterioration in their condition, we have identified some issues in the way real time recording of their observations is captured on our EPR.
“There are a number of factors involved, including wide variations in what would be considered ‘normal’ baseline observations for these patients.
“One of the many benefits of the EPR is that it visualises data, supporting improvements in patient care.”
They added that a task and finish group has been established to work through all of the identified issues, including processes, equipment needs and training.
Rachael Fox, executive vice president, UK & EMEA at Altera told Digital Health News: “We understand implementing new digital workflows can sometimes highlight pre-digitisation reporting inconsistencies, as seen in this case with sepsis screening.
“One of the many benefits of an EPR is its ability to surface and help address such issues to drive improvements in care.
“We fully support the trust’s proactive approach in establishing a task and finish group to review these areas of improvement.
“It’s a positive step that reflects Worcester’s commitment to continuous improvement in patient care and we are working closely with the trust to help ensure the Sunrise EPR continues to support safe, effective care.”
The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death 2015 highlighted sepsis as being a leading cause of avoidable death, that kills more people than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.
It has been estimated by the World Health Organisation that sepsis accounts for approximately 189 deaths per 100,000 hospitalised patients, highlighting its severity as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in healthcare settings.
According to ONS data, the number of deaths in England and Wales where sepsis was the underlying cause rose from 2,630 in 2018 to 4,276 in 2023, an increase of 63%.
