Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Assembly Member Angela Burns was delighted to be elected as chairman of the Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Sepsis last week.

The Cross Party Group aims to raise awareness of this condition, provide support for carers and survivors as well as provide a basis for discussion and communication with the Welsh Government about how they can stop people contacting Sepsis.

Sepsis is responsible for an estimated 1,800 deaths in Wales, claiming more lives than lung cancer and has a mortality rate of between 30 and 50 per cent in severe cases.

Speaking after the event, Angela said: “I was delighted to launch this CPG focusing on a subject so very close to my heart.

“I pay tribute to the brave men and women who have come along to share their experiences of Sepsis, the clinicians who have talked with knowledge and humility about the life-saving work that they undertake and my fellow Assembly members who have taken time out of their busy schedules to lend their support.

“This cross party group has been set up to raise the profile of Sepsis, ensure that we have the tools in place from government to work to eradicate the condition and provide education to ensure that symptoms are recognised as early as possible by patients and clinicians alike. I do not want to see anyone else go through what myself and my family have done over the last couple of years with a condition that is entirely preventable.

“I hope that this cross party group only has a five-year life span and that by the time of the next Assembly elections in 2021 our aims will have been achieved. It is only by working together that this will be possible.”