The Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant
is a promise from the nation
that those who serve or
have served, and their
families, are treated fairly.
Gloucestershire Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust is working to
embed the Armed Forces Covenant to
improve health outcomes for serving
personnel, veterans and their families.
The Trust has recruited six members
of staff who have volunteered to
become ‘Armed Forces Champions’ –
many of whom have either previously
served in the military or have a link to
the Armed Forces.
Champs
These individuals are best placed to
understand the difficulties that Forces
patients and their families encounter,
and have experience of the challenges
that can be faced in accessing and
receiving health care services.
The new role involves a host of things,
including:
• • Promoting the needs of Armed
Forces serving personnel, their
families, and veterans.
• • Offering support and information
to colleagues regarding issues
pertinent to the Armed Forces.
• • Contributing to the initiation and
implementation of change and
improvement to service and care
delivery for local Armed Forces
serving personnel, their families and
veterans.
Deborah Lee, the Trust’s CEO
said: “I am very proud to endorse
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust’s support for Britain’s
Armed Forces serving personnel,
veterans, and their families.
“Our Champions each bring different
experiences, knowledge and skills
which will help shape the support and
care we can offer.”
To contact Gloucestershire NHS Trust’s Armed Forces Champions e-mail [email protected]
HEALTH ADVICE – SEPSIS
Bad Blood
It claims 52,000 lives every year in the U.K. – and it has been called “the deadliest killer you’ve never heard of”.
Sepsis, also called blood poisoning or septicaemia, is a potentially life-threatening condition, triggered by an infection or injury,
which can affect babies, toddlers, children and adults.
In Sepsis, the body’s immune system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight an infection. This can reduce the blood supply to
vital organs such as the brain, heart and kidneys. Without quick treatment, Sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
Here are the early warning signs you need to know:
Sepsis symptoms in children under five years
If your baby/young child has any of the symptoms noted below, you should
take the baby/child straight to A&E (Gloucestershire Royal or Cheltenham
General Hospital) or call 999.
Sepsis symptoms in
older children (5 years+)
and adults
• • Looks mottled, bluish or pale If your child or an adult has any
of the symptoms listed below,
seek immediate medical advice.
• • Very lethargic or difficult to wake The symptoms may be:
• • Feels abnormally cold to touch • • High or low temperature
• • Breathing very fast • • Chills and shivering
• • Has a fit or convulsion • • Fast heartbeat
• • Rash that does not fade when you press it • • Fast breathing
If your baby/child is getting worse or is sicker than you’d expect and has
any of the symptoms below, trust your instincts and seek medical advice
urgently from NHS 111, by ringing 111. • • Feeling dizzy or faint
The symptoms may be: • • Diarrhoea, nausea,vomiting
The symptoms may be:
• • Temperature over 38°C (babies under 3 months) / temperature over 39°C
(babies 3-6 months)
• • Any high temperature, where child in not showing an interest in anything
• • Low temperature (below 36°C)
• • Finding it harder to breathe, making grunting noises when breathing,
breathing that pauses
• • Not had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours
• • Baby or child has no interest in feeding, not drinking for more than
8 hours (when awake),
• • Green, bloody or black vomit/sick.
For further information, see the NHS website www.nhs.uk/condtiond/sepsis
• • Confused, disorientated,
slurred speech
• • Severe breathlessness
• • Cold, clammy and pale/mottled
skin loss of consciousness
• • Not passing much urine, ie for
a full day
Treatment of Sepsis
If sepsis is detected early and
hasn’t affected any vital organs, it
can be treated with antibiotics. But
children/adults with severe sepsis
and septic shock will require
admission to hospital.
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