The East of England Ambulance Service is marking World Sepsis Day tomorrow by raising awareness of the signs of the killer condition.

Sepsis, more commonly known as severe blood poisoning, can affect the whole body and its vital organs and is the leading cause of death from infection.

If not treated swiftly, it can prove fatal; more than 37,000 people in the UK die every year from sepsis - which is more than breast and bowel cancer combined.

Tracy Nicholls, acting Director of Clinical Quality at the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and member of the UK Sepsis Trust, has championed the role paramedics can play in saving people from this deadly blood disease.

She said: “We are seeing 50 to 90 cases in the region a month and I want us to continue pushing on and continue to raise awareness of this condition.

“We want sepsis to be as high profile as a stroke or heart attack as NHS research released this month has suggested that the delivery of basic elements of sepsis care could save 11,000 lives a year; the key to reducing the prevalence of sepsis is timely recognition and diagnosis, quick administration of antibiotics and the involvement of experts including intensive care specialists – and we play a key role in that.”

Tracy has been leading the drive from the ambulance service to promote sepsis awareness across the health sector.

The warning signs of sepsis include slurred speech, extreme muscle pain, passing no urine, severe breathlessness, discoloured or mottled skin.

The casualty may also say they feel like they are dying.