This September, Northern Health joins healthcare organisations around the world in recognising World Sepsis Day.
Held on 13 September, World Sepsis Day is a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness of sepsis and the importance of early recognition and treatment.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that develops when the body’s response to an infection causes damage to its own organs and tissues. Although people with pre-existing health issues are at greater risk of developing sepsis, healthy individuals can also develop the condition from simple infections.
Sepsis is a time-critical illness that can rapidly progress to shock, multi-organ dysfunction and death. Early recognition and prompt treatment significantly improve the chance of survival and reduce the risk of long-term complications. The early delivery of antibiotics and, where indicated, intravenous fluids and source control gives patients the best chance of achieving positive outcomes.
This World Sepsis Day, Northern Health’s Step on Sepsis team encourages everyone to understand the signs and risks of sepsis and remember one simple question: Could this be sepsis? Recognising sepsis early and providing prompt treatment can make all the difference to a patient’s life.
At Northern Health, the Step on Sepsis program continues to equip staff with education and evidence-based resources, while leading sepsis quality improvement initiatives and multidisciplinary collaboration. Led by Associate Professor Craig Aboltins, together with Program Coordinators Cassandra Gilbert and Yasmin Sungkar, the program supports clinicians to recognise sepsis earlier and deliver timely, evidence-based care.
“World Sepsis Day provides an important opportunity to start conversations about a condition that many people still know very little about. By increasing awareness among our staff, patients and the wider community, we can help more people recognise the signs of sepsis early and seek medical care sooner,” Cassandra said.
Since its introduction in Northern Health’s Emergency Department in 2013, the Step on Sepsis program has continued to expand across the organisation and beyond. Through innovative collaboration with specialty teams, Northern Health Urgent Care Centres and, more recently, the Virtual Emergency Department (VED), the program has grown to become part of the standard of care in daily practice.
In recognition of the program’s quality, Northern Health’s Step on Sepsis program was awarded a Safer Care Victoria grant last year to further improve care for patients with sepsis.
To mark World Sepsis Day, the Step on Sepsis team will lead a range of awareness activities for staff, patients and visitors across Northern Health.
Visit our foyer displays to learn more about sepsis and meet the team as they tour Northern Hospital Epping.
Northern Health staff can also test their knowledge of sepsis below for the chance to win a $50 voucher. The quiz closes at 5 pm on 21 September 2026.
Complete the SurveyMonkey quiz
To learn more about sepsis management at Northern Health, visit the Step on Sepsis intranet page.
For further information about sepsis and World Sepsis Day, visit:
This World Sepsis Day, remember one simple question: Could this be sepsis?
Pictured in featured image (L-R): Yasmin Sungkar (Step on Sepsis program coordinator/ CNS Emergency Department), A/Prof Craig Aboltins (Director of Infectious Diseases) and Cassandra Gilbert (Step on Sepsis program coordinator/ ANUM Emergency Department).