How should I manage a patient with suspected sepsis in primary care before hospital referral?

Manage a patient with suspected sepsis in primary care by assessing for high risk criteria for severe illness or death from sepsis, and decide whether they can be treated safely outside hospital based on clinical judgement ¹.

If high risk criteria are met, arrange immediate transfer to hospital, pre-alert secondary care, and consider administering broad-spectrum antibiotics if transfer is delayed or in remote locations where transfer time exceeds one hour ¹.

For patients who do not meet high risk criteria, provide information on symptoms to monitor, how to access emergency care if concerned, and arrange further investigations and follow-up as appropriate ¹.

Ensure the person and/or carers are informed about sepsis, including symptoms, recovery expectations, and signposting to support groups such as the UK Sepsis Trust ¹.