VITAL CAMPAIGN WILL SAVE HUNDREDS OF LIVES by

TODAY is a landmark occasion for the people of Scotland as the Government launches a national campaign against a ‘silent killer’ – sepsis.

I applaud the Scottish Government’s decision to begin raising awareness of the dangers of the condition because it will undoubtedly save hundreds of lives.

Furthermore, I congratulate those, particularly the Scottish Daily Mail, who lobbied so passionately and effectively against people who claimed a new campaign was unnecessary.

Every time I read about a new death from sepsis I wonder whether such a misfortune could have been avoided: whether someone’s husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter might still be alive if we all knew more about the symptoms and how to spot them.

Less than three years ago sepsis came within a whisker of claiming my life – and all because I was one of the vast majority of people who are blissfully unaware of its symptoms, or how many lives it claims every year. As a result of being taken seriously ill with the condition in September 2015, I spent 19 days in intensive care – and throughout that time it was unclear whether I would live or die.

Eventually, I was off the danger list but for five months my doctors did not permit me to fly home to the UK. During this time, I suffered some significant setbacks.

But I was one of the lucky ones: I pulled through and was able to celebrate my landmark 70th birthday that I so nearly missed. As I was recovering, I started to learn more about sepsis. It affects 250,000 people a year in the UK and, of these, some 44,000 will die. In Scotland alone, some 4,000 a year die as a result of the condition, which is caused when the body’s immune system overacts to an infection.

Since making a good recovery, I have done all I can to raise awareness of sepsis. I have co-operated in numerous ways with the UK Sepsis Trust and have been willing to share my own traumatic experience in the hope it saves lives.

One of the most chilling statistics is that one in three Britons has never even heard of sepsis. Of those who have heard of it, one in four does not believe it is a medical emergency. I hope that the new campaign will have a major impact on statistics like these. I am fully aware that, as a sepsis survivor, I am one of the lucky ones. With hindsight, I could and should have done things differently three years ago. At the time, although I had heard of sepsis, I did not know enough about its symptoms or just how serious the condition is.

As the new sepsis awareness campaign is launched, my message to others is to learn from my failings. In short, I urge people: ‘Do as I say, not as I did.’

For more information on the work of the UK Sepsis Trust visit www.sepsistrust.org. Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster.