Saving Lives Together: Aqua and The Dudley Group Celebrated for Sepsis Care Innovation

A partnership between the Advancing Quality Alliance (Aqua) and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised by the Health Service Journals Patient Safety Congress, for its outstanding work in improving sepsis care and patient outcomes.

This work was selected as the category winner in the Safety Improvement Competition for recognising and responding to the deteriorating patient. Together, The Dudley Group and Aqua’s, Advancing Quality (AQ) programme have significantly improved care and outcomes for patients across six key clinical areas, including sepsis. By using the programmes clear set of evidence-based measures, this collaboration helps frontline teams deliver safer, more consistent care and drive meaningful improvement across the Trust.

Dr Julian Hobbs Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust commented:

“This means a huge amount to me and my colleagues who’ve worked tirelessly over the last eight years to improve the detection and treatment of each patient within the organisation with particular reference to sepsis – a key concern for patients and their relatives. Aqua have been a fantastic improvement partner, bringing a long pedigree of improvement work in this very difficult area. We can see the staff understanding the improvement work and the sense of satisfaction. The improvements are tangible with a reduction in sepsis mortality.”

In the UK, sepsis leads to an estimated 48,000 deaths each year. Early recognition and prompt, appropriate treatment of sepsis can make a difference to patient outcomes, potentially saving 14,000 lives and resulting in 400,000 fewer days in hospital for patients every year in the UK.

Together, they used AQ’s evidence-based clinical measures to help standardise care across teams, reducing variation and ensuring patients received timely and consistent treatment. By analysing local data, identifying key gaps, and aligning practice with national benchmarks, the Dudley Group was able to drive real improvements in how sepsis is recognised and managed. This collaborative approach reflects the broader aim of AQ: to turn data into action and help clinical teams deliver better outcomes at scale.

Ruth Yates, Associate Director at Aqua and lead for the Advancing Quality programme added:

“I’m delighted to have the valuable work of Aqua’s partnership with The Dudley Group recognised with this award. It’s great when NHS clinical teams make the most of the valuable data collected to test and deliver improvements. The award provides another opportunity to share what works and showcase how our work delivers better care and outcomes for people with sepsis.”

One of the most significant areas of progress for The Dudley Group has been the timely delivery of antibiotics for patients with suspected sepsis. Between comparable quarters from July to September, performance improved year-on-year, from 75% in 2022 to 78% in 2023, and a notable 91% in 2024. This marks an overall increase of more than 16%, driven by greater awareness, clearer triage protocols, and strengthened clinical pathways. This improvement reflects the Trust’s targeted efforts to reduce delays and ensure early, appropriate treatment – critical steps in improving patient outcomes.

Alongside improvements in timely treatment and care bundles, The Dudley Group saw a clear rise in both its composite process score and appropriate care score – key indicators of compliance with the Advancing Quality (AQ) measure set. These upward trends reflect more consistent care delivery and greater adherence to best practice standards. Importantly, this strengthened performance is correlated with a reduction in mortality, suggesting that increased alignment with AQ measures is not only improving processes but saving lives.

The Dudley Group’s journey through sepsis improvement has highlighted some key lessons:

• Sustainable change takes time and thrives where clinical leadership is strong, and teams are truly engaged.
• By embedding regular review cycles, running targeted audits, and creating space for open dialogue, the Trust built momentum for improvement, even while managing the pressures of rising demand.
• Monthly meetings became a catalyst for change, helping staff build confidence in using data, share challenges, and co-design solutions.
• Most importantly, they’ve shown that with the right culture and collaboration, even complex care pathways can be improved, and lives can be positively impacted.

The Dudley Group’s experience shows that creating a learning-focused environment – where collaboration, curiosity, and continuous review are encouraged – can drive meaningful improvement. Regular stakeholder meetings, shared data reviews, and strong clinical leadership helped build confidence, deepen engagement, and spark ideas for change. By bringing together teams across departments and services, the Trust fostered shared ownership of care and built networks that supported learning beyond their walls. For other organisations, this highlights the power of open dialogue, regional collaboration, and multidisciplinary teamwork in making improvement sustainable, and something teams can take real pride in.

To learn more about this programme of work, or how we could support you, then get in touch.