UK Sepsis Trust Warns Superbugs Killing More People than Breast Cancer

Health experts have warned that the burgeoning superbugs crisis is actually becoming a larger killer than Breast Cancer in the UK as the government continues to rely on flawed data that masks the true extent of this problem. Ron Daniels, the chief executive of the UK Sepsis trust claims that the Department of Health’s figures concerning drug-resistant deaths do not show the true extent of the problem. The Department of Health estimates that 5,000 people die each year, but Daniels claims the true figure is closer to 12,000 deaths. The number of drug-resistant deaths continues to rise every year as more bugs that lead to sepsis are becoming antibiotic-resistant. This type of resistance is viewed as one of the growing long-term health threats. This is an extremely serious issue as drug-resistant superbugs could lead to everyday infections and cuts becoming fatal. The true extent of this growing problem remains obscured as the government continues to rely on statistical data extrapolated from foreign studies. This is a serious and growing concern that many people remain unaware of. Superbugs are rarely listed as a cause of death and Dr. Daniels feels there needs to be a specific register established that monitors superbug deaths, to ensure the rising death count is reflected in Government health policy. Figures provided by Dr. Daniels indicate that the true figure of superbug-related deaths is actually a leading cause of death and is actually responsible for more deaths than breast cancer, which is widely thought of as one of the UK’s biggest killers. Sepsis Trust argues that with over 44,000 people dying from blood poisoning and sepsis every year in the UK, it is likely that at least 7,000 of these deaths are linked to antibiotic-resistant superbugs. With the Department of Health set to begin a major public awareness campaign on the risks associated with sepsis, it is becoming increasingly more important to publicise the worrying increase in superbug deaths annually.