I nearly died from sepsis in 2015, and I experienced first-hand how important it is for people to know of this condition so that they can ask doctors ‘could it be sepsis?’. Every hour counts, so greater awareness really does save lives.

On 20th February, new official figures told a terrifying story: that sepsis affects 250,000 people in the UK each year, with 44,000 of them dying. Far more than we’d previously thought. 

The UK Sepsis Trust exists to raise awareness, train and educate health professionals about sepsis, as well as to help families who have experienced its destructive force. 

But this needs all of us to step up and do something. That’s the challenge and that’s why we’re launching the #Ashcroft4SepsisUnited campaign and why I will match every donation given up to £250k – until we reach our target of £500,000.

The more of us who unite against sepsis, the more lives we will save – together. And the sooner we can start saving those lives, the better for all our families. So please make a donation to the UK Sepsis Trust today, and we’ll send you a symptom card which you can save on your phone or print out. 

Finally, please spread the word on social media so as many people as possible get to hear about sepsis and join the campaign. You never know when it might help save a life.