Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency in which the body's response to infection can cause organ failure, disability and death. Early recognition and timely treatment are critical to improving patient outcomes.

In Australia 84,000 people are diagnosed with Sepsis every year. Sadly 12,000 Australians pass. That’s more than Breast cancer, Prostate cancer and the National Road Toll combined every year. Globally it takes the lives of 11 million people worldwide every year.  (Sepsis Australia, 2026)

In 2023, our wonderful husband, dad, and pa, Andrew,  was taken to the hospital as a precaution due to a rapid heart rate. We believed he would be coming home soon. Tragically, he did not. Within just 21 hours, despite being airlifted to a larger hospital, he was diagnosed with sepsis and passed away.

Although Australia has a National Sepsis Clinical Care Standard, consistent implementation and accountability across healthcare services remain important challenges. Differences in recognition, escalation, treatment and access to specialist care can contribute to delays, particularly in rural, regional and remote communities.

Every Australian deserves timely, evidence-based care when sepsis is suspected, regardless of where they live or which hospital, aged care facility, care home  or healthcare service they attend. Patients and families should also be able to expect clear communication, appropriate escalation of concerns and transparent reporting of sepsis care outcomes.

Petition request

We therefore ask the House of Representatives to urge the Australian Government to work with state and territory governments to establish and implement mandatory, nationally consistent sepsis protocols across public and private hospitals and other relevant acute healthcare services including aged care and care homes. 

These protocols should include:

Standardised procedures for early recognition, screening, urgent clinical assessment and timely treatment of suspected sepsis.
Clear escalation pathways and access to appropriately trained clinicians, diagnostics and treatment, 24 hours a day.
Mandatory competency-based staff training and regular audits of compliance.
National reporting of sepsis treatment times, patient outcomes and preventable delays, with appropriate public transparency.
Dedicated funding, implementation support and independent evaluation to ensure equitable access to care across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote Australia.
We call for measurable national standards, effective oversight and accountability to help prevent avoidable deaths and disability from sepsis.

The absence of standardized sepsis protocols in hospitals can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment, which are critical in saving lives.

Early recognition and timely management of sepsis greatly improve the chances of survival. Without mandated sepsis protocols in all hospitals across Australia, more families like ours will continue to endure the unbearable pain of losing loved ones.

We urge the Australian healthcare authorities to act rapidly and adopt standardized sepsis protocols across all hospitals in Australia. This would involve training healthcare personnel to recognize early signs of sepsis, implementing rapid response procedures, and ensuring that vital treatments are promptly administered.

Our loved ones deserve better. No family should have to suffer the preventable loss of a precious member due to the lack of a structured and timely response to sepsis.

Please sign this petition to demand the immediate implementation of sepsis protocols in all Australian hospitals, so that others may live where our beloved could not. Together, we can make a difference and save lives.