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Jeremy Hunt apologises to family of tot William MeadNEWS: goo.gl/a3kAcQHealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised for failing a family whose one year old son died from sepsis.Mr Hunt was at a private service in Cornwall for William Mead who died in 2014.William's parents Melissa and Paul have campaigned since their son's death for greater awareness of the bacterial infection which attacks organs.Mr Hunt said: 'I have come here today to say sorry because this weekend William should have been enjoying the beautiful Cornish sunshine with his parents.'And because we, I as Health Secretary, the Government, the NHS, let down William, Paul and Melissa.'We didn't spot his sepsis before it was too late.'Following William Mead's tragic death, the Daily Mail has campaigned to raise awareness of the deadly condition. Around 44,000 in the UK die every year from sepsis.Melissa, from Penryn, Cornwall, said: 'Jeremy has been part of William's journey.'He has been a really important pivotal part making sure the Government support the sepsis campaign.' The private service was held at Truro Cathedral.Research by the York Health Economics Consortium suggests 260,000 Britons develop the condition every year. This figure is 110,000 higher than previous estimates, which put the number of affected patients at 150,000. Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of NHS England, said far more can be done to combat the illness’s ‘terrible toll’.Sepsis, known as the ‘silent killer’, strikes when a bacterial infection such as septicaemia or blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response, in which the body attacks its own organs.If antibiotics are given quickly it can be effectively treated.But sepsis is notoriously difficult to diagnose until it is too late, and kills at least 44,000 patients a year – more than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined. The latest report suggests deaths may be far higher – but a second study will be launched to clarify this.Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, said deaths may be as high as 65,000.The Daily Mail launched its End the Sepsis Scandal campaign last year to raise awareness of symptoms among patients and staff.York Health Economics Consortium is an independent think-tank owned by the University of York.Its report said sepsis costs the UK economy £15.6billion a year, adding that earlier diagnosis and treatment could save more than 14,000 lives annually.Dr Daniels said: ‘We’ve long been aware that sepsis causes thousands of unnecessary deaths every year and presents an unmanageable economic burden.‘A crippling paucity of data has thus far confined us to conservative estimates, but the figures reported in YHEC’s study are a shocking new indication of the gravity and sheer scale of the problem. It’s sobering to learn that the issue is so much greater than previously estimated.’Sir Bruce, who will today host an event in Parliament where the findings will be presented, said: ‘Health professionals are spotting and treating more cases of sepsis than ever before, but there is still more we can do to reduce the terrible toll that this severe and life-threatening condition has on patients and their families.‘That’s why we are working closely with the UK Sepsis Trust and medical leaders on awareness-raising to ensure that the signs of sepsis are spotted as soon as possible, as well as introducing more measures than ever before to support and equip organisations and health professionals to improve the chances of survival and reduce complications.’

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Paparazzi news Jeremy Hunt apologises to family of tot William Mead One-year-old William Mead 'silent killer' sepsis in 2014 William died catalogue of errors misdiagnoses and missed opportunities Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt apologised for failing Secretary the Government the NHS let down William