Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency caused by the body's response to infection. These resources support earlier recognition, timely treatment and recovery, helping improve outcomes for patients and whānau across New Zealand.
Sepsis can develop from any infection and may lead to organ failure, shock and death if not recognised and treated quickly.
The Raise the Flag national sepsis package supports health care teams to recognise sepsis earlier and provide timely treatment through nationally consistent resources and guidance.
The package brings together clinical pathways, implementation resources, governance guidance, education materials and patient information to support a consistent approach to sepsis care across New Zealand.
These resources are designed to be used together to support high-quality sepsis care. We recommend implementing the package as a complete quality improvement programme rather than introducing individual resources separately.
Guidance for organisations implementing the Raise the Flag package
Guidance to support ongoing monitoring, quality improvement and governance of sepsis care
Resources to support staff education, simulation and learning
Information about recognising sepsis, treatment and recovery
The Raise the Flag package was developed with Sepsis Trust NZ and a multidisciplinary sepsis technical advisory group. The group included representatives from clinical professional bodies from paediatrics, maternity, general medicine, emergency medicine, intensive care and infectious diseases. It provided clinical expertise, insights and strategic feedback.
Stocktake of sepsis management in New Zealand (PDF 1.5MB)
National review of sepsis management across hospitals, urgent care and ambulance services that identified priorities for improvement.
Sepsis quality improvement scoping review (PDF 1MB)
Review of New Zealand and international evidence on effective approaches to improving sepsis recognition, treatment and outcomes.
Sepsis adverse event thematic analysis (PDF 729KB)
Analysis of sepsis-related adverse events that identifies common contributing factors and opportunities to improve sepsis recognition and treatment.
Sepsis programme scoping summary (PDF 1.2MB)
Summary of the evidence, stakeholder feedback and data analysis that informed development of the Raise the Flag programme.
For questions or feedback about the sepsis resources email: sepsis@hqsc.govt.nz
