NHS England to Equip High-Risk Sepsis Patients with Wearable Monitors

NHS England announced Tuesday a strategy to equip patients at risk of sepsis with wearable devices such as watches, bracelets or mobile phone applications that track blood pressure and heart rate. The Independent reported that the technology will flag deterioration and prompt testing, with the goal of preventing 1,000 deaths annually.

The strategy also sets a target of preventing thousands of sepsis-related fatalities in England by 2035.

Sepsis directly causes 4,000 deaths a year in England, and NHS England estimates that a quarter of those deaths can be avoided through earlier detection and care. The UK Sepsis Trust estimates sepsis contributes to about 48,000 deaths across the UK each year. NHS figures recorded more than 118,000 emergency admissions for sepsis in England in 2024/25.

For every hour treatment is delayed, the risk of death rises by up to 8 percent. Higher-risk groups identified for the devices include people on immunosuppressants, some cancer patients, older adults, patients with catheters and people with serious mental illness. Some hospitals have already started using the technology.

Cancer patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy at University College London Hospitals wear a chest device that measures heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature to detect sepsis and cytokine release syndrome. When symptoms appear, clinicians receive an alert and can conduct a rapid review and administer antibiotics if required.

Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, NHS England’s deputy medical director, said every year sepsis causes tens of thousands of deaths and leaves thousands more with long-term disabilities.

She added that catching the condition early is key because the longer it goes undetected the lower the chance of survival or full recovery. Minister for patient safety Preet Gill said sepsis is a devastating and sometimes fatal condition and that families have driven changes so that concerns are acted on and the NHS learns when things go wrong.