Communiqué 5: National Sepsis Program Oversight Group – September 2024

National Sepsis Oversight Group

The Oversight Group is chaired by Conjoint Associate Professor Carolyn Hullick, Chief Medical Officer at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission). 

Members discussed sepsis education and training for primary health care professionals: They:

• noted the diversity of primary care including scopes or practice; capacity for point of care testing; and access to emergency services or escalation pathways to expedite care
• discussed the challenges and time pressures faced in primary care and the importance of linking education to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), including the new requirement for clinician reflection
• recommended the Commission review the primary care education bundle recently developed by the Northern Territory Health Service
• noted that without tools and resources, education to build knowledge is low on the hierarchy of interventions for behaviour change
• emphasised the importance of safety netting language, and suggested ‘example scripts’ could be useful complimentary resources
• clarified that the online education bundle will be freely available.

Members provided feedback about coordinated care and post sepsis supports. They noted:

• sepsis coordination is complex because patients can be admitted through a range of different teams and specialities and also transition through multiple points of care
• the need to follow and support the patient through their entire sepsis journey, including pre and post hospital phases
• a new report from Queensland Health about consumer and healthcare professionals’ views on gaps in sepsis coordination
• clinicians advocating for investment in sepsis coordination need more cost/benefit evidence
• the need for models of care to be flexible and adaptable to encourage take up and implementation, especially in rural and remote contexts
• aspects of paediatric practice that could enhance outcomes in adult services, for example embedding family inclusive practice.

Members also heard from The George Institute for Global Health about:

• The 2030 Global Sepsis Agenda, the first multi-year global strategy to reduce the burden of sepsis
• A new James Lind Alliance priority setting partnership (PSP) to establish future sepsis research priorities.

Next steps

The Oversight Group will continue to monitor the progress of projects and provide feedback to the Commission and contracted suppliers to strengthen implementation and outcomes. 

Enquiries

If you would like to be added to the distribution list for this Communiqué, please email sepsis@safetyandquality.gov.au.