A Forth Valley doctor got on his bike and cycled more than 450 miles to help raise awareness of a life threatening condition that kills thousands of people in Britain every year.
Dr Dan Beckett, a Consultant Acute Physician at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, and his partner Dr Claire Gordon, a Consultant in Acute Medicine at NHS Lothian, cycled from the Scottish Parliament to Westminster to launch a new campaign organised by the UK Sepsis Trust to increase awareness of the symptoms of sepsis.
Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, kills more people in the UK each year than lung cancer, or bowel and breast cancer combined. The condition can develop very quickly so seeking medical treatment as soon as possible is vital.
Dr Beckett explained: “Sepsis kills around 37,000 people in the UK every year which equates to 82 deaths for every mile we cycled. Scotland already has a national programme for improving outcomes from sepsis and is therefore ahead of the field in early diagnosis and delivery of care.
“As clinicians working in acute medicine we see first hand the devastating impact sepsis can have on patients and their families and want to do everything we can to ensure that anyone with sepsis receives the best possible treatment.”
