Sepsis patients are made to wait 11 HOURS for life-saving treatment at scandal-hit hospital

• Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, West Midlands, has been blasted by inspectors 
• Its A&E department has been called ‘inadequate’ and it is on a warning 
• Staff do not fully understand the seriousness of sepsis, a report said 

Patients with suspected sepsis were made to wait 11 hours for life-saving treatment at a failing A&E unit, a report has warned.

An independent inquiry is already underway at the Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley over fears that dozens of patients have died needlessly.

And now inspectors have found patients with signs of sepsis, which can kill within hours, are being forced to wait before being given antibiotics. 

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) warned staff at the hospital’s A&E department, including senior doctors and nurses, ‘did not understand sepsis’.

Inspectors were particularly concerned doctors were failing to take sepsis seriously, despite new NHS guidelines and awareness campaigns.

Staff at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley are reportedly ‘frustrated’ that they are constantly being told to focus on stopping sepsis, which can kill people within a matter of hours

One patient with possible sepsis waited three hours to have their temperature, breathing rate and other observations checked. They became seriously ill.

The report highlights how staff at the hospital ‘continued to be frustrated at the focus on sepsis’ and ‘did not fully engage with the need to assess for sepsis’.

Sepsis claims up to 44,000 lives in the UK each year and is known as the silent killer because it is so difficult to diagnose.

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It occurs when the body over-reacts to an infection or virus and, if untreated, can cause the organs to shut down.

In the last two years, NHS watchdog Nice updated guidelines for doctors, telling them to treat the condition with the same urgency as a heart attack.

The Government has also launched awareness campaigns for the public on how to spot the symptoms, which include rapid breathing.

The Mail has been campaigning to raise the profile of sepsis since 2016 following the death of one-year-old William Mead.

It is not the first time that the CQC has raised concerns over the hospital’s regard to sepsis.

WHAT IS SEPSIS? 

Sepsis, known as the ‘silent killer’, strikes when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.

It is the leading cause of avoidable death, killing at least 44,000 a year, and the Daily Mail has long campaigned for more awareness.

If caught early, the infection can be controlled by antibiotics before the body goes into overdrive – ultimately leading to death within a matter of minutes.

But the early symptoms of sepsis can be easily confused with more mild conditions, meaning it can be difficult to diagnose.

Sepsis has similar symptoms to flu, gastroenteritis and a chest infection.

These include: 

• Slurred speech or confusion
• Extreme shivering or muscle pain
• Passing no urine in a day
• Severe breathlessness
• It feels like you are dying
• Skin mottled or discoloured

Other symptoms in children are:  

• Fast breathing
• Fits or convulsions
• Mottled, bluish or pale skin
• Rashes that do not fade when pressed
• Lethargy
• Feeling abnormally cold

Previous inspections have highlighted ‘concerns’ over whether staff were identifying patients with the condition effectively.

Its latest inspection report states: ‘Some patients with suspected sepsis were still not being identified or managed appropriately.

‘Staff continued to be frustrated at the focus on sepsis and did not fully engage with the need to assess for sepsis. This included discontinuing sepsis treatment and pathways without clinical review.

‘We saw that some staff could describe the signs of sepsis and outline what action was required. However, this was inconsistent with other staff unable to do so.’

They added: ‘A number of clinical staff we spoke with including senior doctors and nurses still did not understand sepsis and were frustrated by the need for screening and pathways.’

Inspectors visited the trust on August 8 and 9 to view its urgent and emergency care services at Russells Hall. 

The report by the CQC also revealed how seriously ill patients were made to wait ‘a number of hours’ to be seen by a doctor.

They include a child covered in burns who waited three hours to be seen and a baby rescued from a fire who waited nearly two hours.

The CQC has rated the A&E unit inadequate and is also taking ongoing enforcement action.

This means managers have to give weekly updates showing they are making urgent improvements – otherwise the department could be temporarily closed.

Around 170,000 patients visit the Russells Hall Hospital A&E unit each year and it is run by the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor Ted Baker, the CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, said: ‘We remain very concerned about the emergency department at Russells Hall Hospital as a result of our inspection.

‘This is why we have imposed an urgent condition on the trust’s registration to safeguard patient safety. 

‘This condition relates to the provision of specialist medical provision and support into the emergency department.’

Last month, the trust confirmed up to 50 deaths which had occurred in the A&E in the last six months were being investigated by an independent panel.

This is being led by the deputy medical director of NHS England, Mike Bewick. 

Diane Wake, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said: As a trust, we are moving towards a continuous improvement culture.

‘And we welcome this assessment of the areas we need to focus our attention. Patient safety is our first priority.

‘We have a clear action plan in place for improvement, which harnesses the dedication and commitment of our staff, as well as the support being provided to us by partner organisations.’ 

DUDLEY HOSPITAL INVESTIGATED OVER 54 PATIENT DEATHS

Russells Hall Hospital is being investigated after 54 people died in A&E within the first six months of this year, it was announced in September.

Mike Bewick, the former deputy chief executive of NHS England, has begun an inquiry to establish why the patients died.

The A&E department has already been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), meaning it is being closely monitored and forced to improve.    

The hospital came under scrutiny after concerns were raised about the A&E department’s ability to spot the deadly infection, sepsis. 

During a CQC inspection in June, staff revealed they would not want relatives treated at the hospital out of fear they would die there.

And during their visit, inspectors saw three ‘very unwell’ looking patients in reception, one of whom was bleeding heavily until the inspectors stepped in and called for help.

The trust which runs the hospital, the Dudley Group NHS Trust, claimed at the time it has the lowest mortality rate in the region.

And its chief executive, Diane Wake, said an early report suggested many of the 54 patients were already dead by the time they entered the hospital.  

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