I had to beg doctors for help, sepsis patient says

A man said he was left "begging for help" from doctors after he suffered life-changing injuries due to sepsis caused by failures at his local hospitals.

Paul Robinson, 70, developed recurring sepsis for almost a year after being hospitalised on multiple occasions in Brighton and Worthing.

The company director from Goring, in West Sussex, said: "I've lost my freedom, confidence, business, very nearly my family home, and almost my will to live."

Mr Robinson was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

He successfully had a lump removed from his lung. But during chemotherapy, he became unwell and was diagnosed with sepsis.

He said he went through several relapses with sepsis and was in hospital for 13 days.

"I was left for 11 months with recurring, untreated sepsis – despite begging for help," he said.

Describing his care at Worthing Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, he said there was a breakdown in communication between nurses, doctors and departments.

He said there had been "systemic failures" and "ignored warnings" with his care.

"We asked for help 47 times, and we were ignored 47 times," he added.

"Every day I see NHS campaigns about spotting the signs of sepsis. We knew the signs, we pleaded for help, and nobody listened."

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Source: BBC News, 5 June 2025