Australia: National Sepsis Program Extension Epidemiology Report (September 2025)

Summary

The 13 September is World Sepsis Day, an important reminder that sepsis remains one of the most urgent and under-recognised challenges facing our healthcare system.

To mark the occasion, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare has released a report analysing sepsis-related hospitalisations in Australian public hospitals across the past decade and provides the clearest national picture of sepsis to date.

Content

The facts are a call to action:

• In 2022-23, more than 84,000 Australians were hospitalised with sepsis – significantly greater than previous estimates of 55,000 cases per year
• One in seven sepsis cases resulted in death
• Over 50% of sepsis readmissions occurred in the first 30 days after discharge
• First Nations people are hospitalised for sepsis at double the rate of non-indigenous Australians
• People with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease or cancer face a much greater risk.

There is also encouraging news. The proportion of sepsis-related deaths occurring in emergency departments has declined, suggesting that sepsis pathways and awareness initiatives are starting to have an impact.

But we must do more. Early recognition, timely treatment, and well-coordinated follow-up care are vital to saving lives and reducing long-term impacts.