Quality statement 6: Information for people whose condition is managed outside acute hospital settings
Quality statement
People aged 16 or over with suspected sepsis whose condition is managed outside acute hospital settings are given information about symptoms to monitor and how to access medical care if needed.
Rationale
Sepsis cannot always be ruled out for people with suspected sepsis whose condition is managed outside acute hospital settings. They need to know which symptoms to look out for and how to access medical care urgently if these symptoms develop. This awareness will mean rapid management if symptoms become worse.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Process
a) Proportion of people aged 16 or over with suspected sepsis who do not meet any high or moderate to high risk criteria outside acute hospital settings who are given information about symptoms to monitor and how to access medical care.
Numerator – the number in the denominator who are given information about symptoms to monitor and how to access medical care.
Denominator – the number of people aged 16 or over with suspected sepsis who do not meet any high or moderate to high risk criteria outside acute hospital settings.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from patient records.
b) Proportion of people aged 16 or over who were assessed for suspected sepsis but are being discharged from an acute setting without a diagnosis of sepsis who are given information about symptoms to monitor and how to access medical care.
Numerator – the number in the denominator who are given information about symptoms to monitor and how to access medical care.
Denominator – the number of people aged 16 or over who were assessed for suspected sepsis but are being discharged from an acute setting without a diagnosis of sepsis.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example, from patient records.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (such as primary, ambulatory and secondary care services) ensure that information is available about symptoms to monitor and how and when to access medical care for people with suspected sepsis whose condition is being managed outside acute hospital settings.
Healthcare professionals (such as GPs and healthcare professionals working in emergency departments) give and discuss information about which symptoms to monitor and how and when to access medical care to people with suspected sepsis whose condition is being managed outside acute hospital settings.
Commissioners ensure that they commission services with protocols in place to provide information about symptoms to monitor and how to access medical care to people with suspected sepsis whose condition is being managed outside acute hospital settings.
People aged 16 or over with suspected sepsis whose condition is being managed outside acute hospital settings are given information about what to do if they still feel unwell, important signs to look out for and when and where to get urgent help if they are worried about their condition.
Source guidance
Suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over: recognition, assessment and early management. NICE guideline NG253 (2025) recommendations 1.7.10, 1.7.13, 1.8.27 and 1.14.1
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Suspected sepsis
Suspected sepsis is used when people might have sepsis and their condition needs a face-to-face assessment and consideration of urgent intervention.
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated host response to infection. Symptoms of sepsis can include, but are not limited to:
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high body temperature or low body temperature
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fast heartbeat, fast breathing
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feeling dizzy or faint, losing consciousness
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a change in mental state, for example, confusion or disorientation
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diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting
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slurred speech
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severe muscle pain
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breathlessness
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reduced urine production
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cold, clammy and pale or mottled skin.
People with sepsis may have non-specific, non-localised presentations, for example, they may feel very unwell and may not have a high temperature. [NICE's guideline on suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over, recommendation 1.1.2, terms used in this guideline and expert opinion]
Whose condition is being managed outside acute hospital settings
People with suspected sepsis:
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who do not meet any high or moderate to high risk criteria outside acute hospital settings (see table 1 in NICE's guideline on suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over) and
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those who are assessed for suspected sepsis but discharged from an acute setting without a diagnosis of sepsis.
[NICE's guideline on suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over, recommendations 1.7.10, 1.7.13, 1.8.27 and 1.14.1]