Maddy Lawrence inquest: Mandatory sepsis training for health staff

Medical staff at North Bristol NHS Trust will have mandatory training on a scoring system that indicates signs of sepsis and other serious infections.

The announcement was made at the inquest into the death of student rugby player, Maddy Lawrence.

She died from an infection at Southmead Hospital a fortnight after dislocating her hip during a rugby match.

Her family have called on the coroner to ensure lessons are learned from the 20-year-old's death.

Ms Lawrence was a student at the University of the West of England (UWE) when she dislocated her hip in March 2022.

Jonathan Jones KC, the family's barrister, said: "The family want News Chart training made mandatory for all doctors, not just junior doctors."

News Chart - a national early warning score - is made up of medical observations that aim to show any deterioration in a patient's condition.

Representing North Bristol NHS Trust, solicitor Natalie Smith confirmed that the decision had already been made to make the training mandatory for all medical staff.

The family also called for the failure of staff to complete News Charts to become a disciplinary offence, and that the failure to diagnose sepsis to become a "Never Event" in hospitals - a serious event that should never happen.

Coroner Dr Peter Harrowing has now retired to consider his verdict. He is expected to deliver it on Friday afternoon.

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