Queensland Health’s Paediatric Sepsis Project has won a global award for its valuable contribution in the fight against sepsis.
The project was announced as the winner of the 2020 Global Sepsis Alliance Award in the Governments and Health Authorities category. The awards honour outstanding sepsis awareness and education initiatives.
Queensland Health spokesperson A/Prof Paula Lister said the award recognised the vision and hard work of all those involved in the development of the Queensland Paediatric Sepsis Project, which aims for sustained, year-on-year improvement in the experience and health outcomes of children, young people and families affected by sepsis.
“We are proud to be honoured with this award, which recognises our innovative work, the multidisciplinary approach we have taken, including our family representative partners, to reduce the burden of sepsis across the state including regional, rural and remote Queensland,” A/Prof Lister said.
“Sepsis occurs when the body’s own response to an infection damages tissues and organs.
“It’s a preventable, life-threatening condition, that is relatively common. More children die each year from sepsis than from road traffic accidents or leukaemia.
“We developed the Statewide Paediatric Sepsis Project to improve the key areas influencing paediatric sepsis rates. These include an improvement in public awareness of the danger signs of sepsis, the provision of evidence-based guidelines to help clinicians in the early recognition and treatment of sepsis, the provision of sustained education for healthcare workers and consumers across the state, the creation of digital solutions to aid decision-making and greater support for families and patients affected by sepsis.”
A/Prof Lister said the project began in 2018 in partnership with the Queensland Sepsis Program (Could this be sepsis?), and introduced the evidence based and co-designed Paediatric Sepsis Pathway across the state.
“The Queensland Paediatric Sepsis Project is now increasing the reach of the pathway into inpatient areas.”
“The team are supporting this implementation with targeted education and support systems, including the use of the state’s telehealth service. We have also developed a family peer mentoring program and we have a dedicated Advanced Social Worker to support families across Queensland who are affected by sepsis.
“We are developing a comprehensive digital solution in collaboration with national and international partners to ensure sustained, positive change.
“The Paediatric Sepsis Clinical Nurse Consultant is a core member of our team and as a readily available sepsis expert, she supports the sustained education and upskilling of Queensland’s entire healthcare workforce to improve early sepsis recognition and treatment and improve equity of access to expert care across the state.”
The Sepsis CNC role is a first in Australia and has proved vital to the success of the team.
“Supporting children, young people and families is at the heart of the Paediatric Sepsis Project. Family representatives have been crucial and highly valued partners in the design and implementation of this project.”
Paediatric sepsis is one of several initiatives being undertaken by Queensland Health to improve the unplanned and emergency care delivered in rural and remote areas of the state and facilitate care closer to home for Queenslanders where clinically appropriate.
“This international award is a validation of the unique, multi-faceted and innovative approach the paediatric sepsis team has taken to tackle a serious and significant problem faced by children, young people and families across the state. It has made the team all the more determined to succeed,” A/Prof Lister said.
Pictured above: Queensland Health’s Paediatric Sepsis Project Team .
