Sepsis Spotlight Issue 5 December 2025

2025 - A Landmark Year
Delivering on the National Action Plan

Through advocacy, research, and community engagement, 2025 laid a strong foundation for recognising sepsis as a national health priority. Key achievements have included the Sepsis Epidemiology Report, the most comprehensive national analysis to date, showing that hospitalisations linked to sepsis have risen by more than 50% compared with previous estimates.

The recently released National Sepsis Data Plan – Strategic Analysis Report also set out a five‑year roadmap to standardise sepsis data collection and reporting, establishing consistent national benchmarks for care.

Sepsis Australia strengthened its support for clinicians and consumers through expanded education, integration of lived experience into research and awareness initiatives, and projects designed to drive systemic change. Survivor and bereaved family voices were amplified in national forums, ensuring lived experience informed policy and practice. Consumer‑friendly resources were developed to help families recognise sepsis symptoms and advocate for timely care.

Driving systemic change remained a central focus throughout 2025. Sepsis Australia continued to advocate for full funding and implementation of the Stopping Sepsis National Action Plan, while strengthening partnerships with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to align national standards with lived experience.

2025 was a year of progress and collaboration, and we thank all supporters for their ongoing commitment to making sepsis awareness and action a national priority.

Blueprint for Sepsis Data is a Call to Action

A National Sepsis Data Plan released on 20 November is a blueprint for turning fragmented data into a powerful tool for saving lives. Bridging consumer advocacy and clinical practice, the plan will ensure sepsis is recognised, measured, and addressed as a national health priority. The report is not just about statistics — it is about saving lives.

LEARN MORE

Walk for Archie:
Archie’s Legacy Inspiring Awareness and Action

At Speers Point on the shores of Lake Macquarie, families gather each September dressed in blue, walking together in memory of Archie William Read, who died from sepsis on his first birthday. Walk for Archie is more than a community event — it is an initiative that carries forward Archie’s legacy by raising awareness of sepsis.

What began as one family’s tribute has become a reminder that sepsis can affect anyone, and that continued awareness and education are vital to improving outcomes.

Consumer Opportunities

Sepsis Survivor Week- Canberra

Plans are underway for a consumer‑led event in Canberra during Sepsis Survivor Week (8–14 February 2026), proudly supported by Sepsis Australia.
You can help make this event a reality by sending a letter and briefing note to your local MP, which Sepsis Australia can provide.

The letter outlines the burden of sepsis and the urgent action required, and asks your MP to:
-Sponsor the booking of the Australian Parliament Courtyard for the awareness event (MP sponsorship is required)
-Attend the event to show their support and advocate for action, including:
-Endorse mandate of the Sepsis Clinical Care Standard (SCCS)
-Commit to fully funding the implementation of the Stopping Sepsis National Action Plan (SSNAP), including a comprehensive annual sepsis awareness campaign across all media and health promotion

For the letter contact: sepsis@georgeinstitute.org.au

For updates, go to the Facebook page

Professional Opportunities

SEPSIS ALLIANCE USA (free webinars and events)

December: Beyond the ICU: The role of Lactate in Sepsis, Recovery, and Readmission Risk (Abbott Sponsored Webinar)
December 11: Sepsis Alliance Symposium: Healthcare-Associated Infections
December 17: Sepsis Alliance Institute Open Forum
January 28: Sepsis Alliance Institute Open Forum

🌟What to Expect in 2026 🌟

Looking ahead to 2026, Sepsis Australia will continue to lead national action through the second iteration of the Stopping Sepsis National Action Plan, building on the foundations established since the first plan in 2017.

In September, the Biannual Sepsis Symposium will be held with consumers in the lead‑up to World Sepsis Day, ensuring lived experience remains central to shaping Sepsis Australia’s work as the national authority on sepsis.

Collaboration with research partners will further strengthen the evidence base and drive innovation in care. At the same time, progress will continue on developing a post‑sepsis model of care through the SEPSIS SUPPORT research program, supporting survivors and bereaved families and embedding recovery and long‑term support into the national response.

🎄A Message from Sepsis Australia✨

As 2025 draws to a close, Sepsis Australia extends heartfelt thanks to all who have supported our work this year. Your commitment has strengthened our advocacy, research, and community initiatives, helping us take important steps toward national action on sepsis.

We also pause to acknowledge the bereaved families and those living with the ongoing challenges of sepsis survival. Their voices and experiences continue to guide our mission and remind us of the urgency of this work.

Looking ahead, we invite everyone—clinicians, researchers, survivors, families, and supporters—to stand together in 2026. By working collectively, we can drive the change needed to ensure sepsis is recognised, prevented, and treated as a national health priority.

-The Team at Sepsis Australia