Family says paramedics failed to spot sepsis, left husband at home before he died

WEST SUSSEX — Steve Holbrook-Sishton, a 67-year-old former teacher and college tutor from Storrington, West Sussex, died hours after paramedics failed to spot signs of sepsis and left him at home, his wife said. Holbrook-Sishton developed sepsis after catching Covid-19 and, after vaccination, experienced a high fever and breathing difficulties. Ten days later, on Oct. 26, he tested positive for Covid-19 and began showing confusion and reduced urine output. Jan Holbrook, 70, called the NHS helpline as she grew increasingly concerned about his symptoms. Paramedics arrived more than an hour later, but after an inspection they did not suspect sepsis and left. By the time the second ambulance arrived at their home in Storrington, the father of three had died.

"I knew something wasn't right but when the first ambulance crew left, I don't think Steve had been fully assessed and we weren't given any advice," Mrs. Holbrook has recalled. "When the second crew finally arrived I just said, 'you're too late, he's already dead.'" She described her husband as a loving husband and incredible dad, and said the loss remains raw nearly four years on. "The pain of losing Steve remains as raw now as the day he died. The hardest thing to come to terms with is knowing that he might still be here if he'd received the care he needed and deserved."

The family’s account prompted a breach-of-duty admission by the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust. In a statement accompanying a formal apology, the trust acknowledged that paramedics should have recognised the likelihood of sepsis and that timely admission to hospital could have saved Holbrook-Sishton’s life. The trust said, in a letter to Mrs. Holbrook, that the mismanagement of her husband’s care was not the standard of care it strives to provide, and it offered sincere apologies for the failings involved.

The family are pursuing a payout from the trust. Laura Hayes-Payne, a medical negligence solicitor with Irwin Mitchell representing Mrs. Holbrook, said the admitted failings are deeply concerning and highlighted the consequences when sepsis is not recognised. "We and Jan firmly believe that Steve's symptoms should have prompted an urgent admission to hospital, and once there, he would have received the life-saving treatment he needed," Hayes-Payne added. "While we welcome the Ambulance Trust's admission and apology, it's vital that lessons are learned from Steve's case to ensure other families don't suffer like Jan and her family have."

Sepsis remains a leading cause of avoidable death, and early recognition is critical. The condition arises when the body's response to infection triggers widespread inflammation, which can lead to organ failure. Sepsis can progress rapidly; each hour of delay in treatment increases a patient’s risk of death. Across the United Kingdom, about 245,000 people develop sepsis each year, with roughly 52,000 deaths attributed to the condition, according to the UK Sepsis Trust. Early signs can resemble milder illnesses, making prompt diagnosis essential. High temperature or chills, a fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, confusion, and decreased urine output are among the early indicators. The six warning signs identified by healthcare professionals are encapsulated by the SEPSIS acronym: Slurred speech or confusion; Extreme shivering or muscle pain; Passing no urine in a day; Severe breathlessness; Skin that is mottled or discoloured. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek urgent medical help and ask, could this be sepsis?