Current performance indicators have revealed that Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, which runs King’s Mill Hospital, is one of the best performing in the country for diagnosing and treating patients with sepsis.

Stuart Artliff, from Alfreton knows all too well how good the staff are, having been treated for sepsis at King’s Mill Hospital.

Stuart developed sepsis after contracting Weil’s disease, which is carried by rats and other animals. He had just taken part in a mud run and said that might have been where he contracted the disease.

He said: “I had felt ill for two weeks, and after going downhill fast, I ended up in the Emergency Department at King’s Mill and then spent three weeks in intensive care.

“If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of the nurse who first suspected I might be developing sepsis, I wouldn’t be here now. I owe her my life and can’t thank her and the other hospital staff enough for the fantastic care I received.”

Sepsis can be triggered by any type of infection. The body’s immune system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight the infection, which can reduce the blood supply to vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys. It is essential to treat the condition with antibiotics as soon as possible.

Stuart came back to the hospital recently to say thank you to the team who saved his life. One member of the team was Emergency Department Nurse, Julia Rose, who recognised and treated Stuart’s sepsis when he first came in to the emergency department, she said: “I remember Stuart coming in very clearly, he looked so poorly. I quickly carried out the sepsis screening and he scored really highly on it, so we then immediately started treating him.

“It was brilliant to see Stuart again and see how well he is doing now, we don’t always get to see the impact we make on patients, so it’s always great to see them again when they are fit and well.

“The lifesaving work that we do is down to team work, educating staff and establishing efficient systems to identify and treat infections appropriately. I am delighted that Stuart has fully recovered and that I was part of the team that made this happen.”

Pictured is Stuart Artliff and family with the team who helped save his life.