IFCF AND UK SEPSIS TRUST TEAM UP WITH BAFTA AWARD WINNING ACTOR, JASON WATKINS, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF SEPSIS SYMPTOMS
For World Sepsis Day, on Wednesday 13th September, IFCF continues its partnership with the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST) to spread awareness about sepsis and reach thousands of adults and children in the UK with the latest ‘Sepsis Savvy’ initiative.
Iceland Foods CEO Tarsem Dhaliwal spoke with BAFTA award winning actor Jason Watkins in a video as part of UKST’s latest ‘Sepsis Savvy’ campaign across schools and organisations in the UK. Jason Watkins became a UKST ambassador after the loss of his daughter Maude to sepsis in 2011.
IFCF and the UK Sepsis Trust – World Sepsis Day – YouTube
Iceland Foods will also be running an awareness campaign in all stores, aimed at educating customers on the importance of recognising the signs of sepsis early. A UK Sepsis Trust QR code will be seen on all Iceland Foods and Freshways milk – directing customers to find information on sepsis symptoms and guidance on what to do in suspected cases. All 1,646 Iceland Foods vans will also show a ‘Just ask, could it be sepsis?’ sticker on the back of each delivery van from Wednesday 13th to Wednesday 20th September.
A life-saving partnership, the UKST and IFCF ‘Sepsis Savvy’ initiative has reached over 1,200,000 students and staff in over 1,040 schools in the UK. The campaign has also worked with 938 individuals and 525 companies and organisations since being initiated by Iceland – helping educate around the signs of sepsis and encouraging people to ask, ‘Could it be sepsis?’.
A 2021 poll by UKST, found that 1 in 3 people in the UK wouldn’t treat sepsis as a medical emergency, yet sepsis is the cause of more deaths in the UK than cancer.
Sepsis claims 11 million lives globally each year – with 5 people dying in the UK every hour. But sepsis is often treatable if caught quickly, which is why knowing the signs saves lives. Iceland Foods wants to reach as many people as possible and spread awareness on what signs to look out for, to help people act quickly and save lives.
Tarsem Dhaliwal, Iceland Foods Chief Executive Officer, said: “Sepsis is an often-silent killer in the UK, with so many families losing loved ones to a disease that claims more lives than cancer. Spreading awareness on the symptoms of sepsis is crucial.
“The UK Sepsis Trust’s ‘Sepsis Savvy’ lessons in schools recently saved the life of schoolteacher Emma Cox’s mother, as Emma’s quick thinking meant she was able to spot the sign of sepsis in her mum and get her to hospital quick enough to be treated. Iceland is proud to continue supporting the UK Sepsis Trust to fund their vital resources and help educate people on the signs of sepsis and ultimately save lives.”
UK Sepsis Trust Ambassador & BAFTA award winning actor, Jason Watkins, said “I have teamed up with the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation to continue raising awareness about sepsis in the UK, a mission that is very close to my heart. My goal is to help ensure no parent or family has to go through the pain of losing a loved one, like we did, to sepsis. Most of us still don’t know the signs to look out for, so education and raising awareness about sepsis is fundamental to help save lives.”
To find out more about what you can do to spot the signs of sepsis, please visit: https://sepsistrust.org/
