The APPG on Sepsis - which held its inaugural meeting on 1st April - will work with The UK Sepsis Trust to provide a medium through which parliamentarians, organisations and those affected by Sepsis can discuss the current provision for the condition, which claims 48,000 lives in the UK every year.

The cross-Party group will also promote public understanding of the condition and advocate for simple, timely interventions to be implemented as standard across the NHS. 

In October 2024 Lord Mackinlay became the first quadruple amputee to sit in the House of Lords after he was given a peerage in Rishi Sunak's Dissolution Honours List. The former South Thanet MP and self-proclaimed ‘Bionic Peer’ contracted sepsis at the end of September 2023. His wife was told he had only a 5% chance of survival. 

Lord Mackinlay successfully fought the disease but the resulting complications, not unusual, led to tissue death and meant that his lower legs and arms had to be amputated in December 2023. 

The new Group will be chaired by Mike Wood MP who also developed the deadly disease in January 2017 and spent 11 days in an induced coma. Lee Anderson MP, who held a Parliamentary debate on sepsis in September 2024 and Andrew Pakes MP, who lost his brother, Richard, to Sepsis following an accident in 2016 are also officers of the APPG. 

The Sepsis APPG has a growing list of supporters of over 120 Parliamentarians from all parties and independent politicians across the House of Commons and House of Lords and is thought to be one of the best supported cross-party groups in Westminster. 

APPG Chairman, Mike Wood MP, said: “I’m honoured to chair the APPG on Sepsis, a cause that is deeply personal to me. Having been lucky to survive sepsis myself in 2017, I know firsthand how dangerous it can be and the lasting impact this devastating illness has on survivors and their families.

“It’s a privilege to work alongside colleagues who have shown such courage in the fight against this deadly disease, which affects 245,000 people in the UK each year. I’m truly inspired by the work already undertaken by Lord Mackinlay, Lee Anderson MP, and Andrew Pakes MP to raise awareness of sepsis in Parliament and beyond. 

“It’s encouraging to see the strong cross-party support that the APPG has already received, and I look forward to collaborating with colleagues from across Westminster to continue raising the profile of this deadly disease, which claims five lives every hour. 

“This platform, which allows us to hear from both experts and survivors, is crucial. The APPG will play a key role in driving positive change within the NHS, improving outcomes for patients, and ensuring that we continue to support everyone affected by sepsis.”

APPG Co-Chairman, Lord Mackinlay, said: “Every 3.5 seconds someone in the world dies from sepsis and for those of us who are lucky to survive this dreadful illness, life is rarely quite the same.

“All four of our APPG’s officers – Mike Wood, Andrew Pakes, Lee Anderson and myself – have been affected by sepsis in one way or another. And I know many of our supporters in Parliament have too.

“That’s why, when I was appointed to the House of Lords, I said that, as well as campaigning for appropriate prosthetics for amputees at the appropriate time, my other main aim was to raise awareness around our country of the early signs of sepsis. The work of this APPG will be pivotal in doing that and I’m so very grateful to colleagues across Parliament for the overwhelming support our Parliamentary Group on Sepsis is receiving. 

“This is a milestone moment, but our work has only just begun.”

APPG Officer, Andrew Pakes MP, said: “I am incredibly proud to play a part in this new APPG and in our fight against Sepsis. This is something that has touched my family personally and I know, from speaking to others, there is much more to do both in terms of awareness and support. 

“The APPG on Sepsis provides a vital platform to drive change, raise awareness, and ensure that simple, life-saving interventions become standard practice across the NHS. I am incredibly proud to stand alongside colleagues from across Parliament in this united effort to save lives and improve outcomes for those affected by Sepsis.”

APPG Officer, Lee Anderson MP, said: “One of my constituents, Abbi Hickson, contracted sepsis several years ago and became a quadruple amputee as a result. I know from speaking to her many times, the impact that this has had on her and her family.

“I am glad to support the work of this APPG, because I know it will do fantastic things to raise awareness, fight for better prosthetics for survivors, as well as encouraging help for families affected by this cruel condition.” 

Founder and Chief Medical Officer of The UK Sepsis Trust, Dr Ron Daniels BEM, added: "The launch of this APPG, set to be one of the largest in Westminster, is a landmark moment in our fight against sepsis. For too long, this killer condition – which is more common than heart attacks and claims more lives than stroke – has lingered in the shadows of those conditions and others like cancer and trauma. 

“The time has come to adopt a consistent approach to the recognition of management of Sepsis across our NHS including the provision of dedicated resources and diagnostics rather than survival being left to chance.

“The time to act is now, and the APPG presents a huge opportunity to achieve this."