A new video aimed at raising awareness of sepsis and its symptoms in farming and rural communities has been launched by rural insurer NFU Mutual in collaboration with the UK Sepsis Trust (UKST).
The six-minute long video features NFU Mutual’s rural affairs specialist, Hannah Binns, and the founder of UKST, Dr. Ron Daniels.
In the video, the discussion is centered around on-farm scenarios where farmers, employees and family members could cut, fall or injure themselves which can then put them at risk of developing sepsis.
NFU Mutual highlighted that farmers are at an increased risk of developing the disease, which claims the lives of five people in the UK every hour, “due to the nature of their work”.
The launch of the video follows the legacy of 26-year-old Hannah Brown, who was a Cumbrian livestock farmer. She died in March of 2021, two days after developing sepsis.
Binns said farmers are fantastic at looking after the health and welfare of their animals, but are less conscious and aware when it comes to their own health.
“However, the very nature of farming means farmers can be more prone to grazes, cuts, falls and injuries that can become infected and potentially lead to sepsis,” she warned.
“Living and working in rural and often isolated settings, means farmers cannot always get medical attention as quickly as they should.
“This video highlights the real risks of contracting sepsis on a farm. By watching it, we hope farmers learn important information that can potentially save lives and livelihoods.
“I’m really proud that the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is supporting The UK Sepsis Trust’s important work to raise awareness of the condition within the farming community.”
Sepsis
Also known as blood poisoning, sepsis is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury. If it isn’t treated immediately, it can result in organ failure and death, NFU Mutual said.
Dr. Ron Daniels described the new video as a “life-saving film”, and said that the UKST is “incredibly grateful” for the support of NFU Mutual’s Charitable Trust.
“While anyone can get sepsis at any time, and it’s not exclusively obtained through infected cuts and scrapes, farmers are one of the key demographics that our charity wanted to help educate following the tragic death of Hannah Brown,” he said.
“I hope that this new film will help further Hannah’s life-saving legacy, and ensure the farming community doesn’t have to experience any more unimaginable tragedies caused by preventable deaths from sepsis.”
In September last year, UKST delivered their first campaign to try and grow awareness of sepsis among farmers. The campaign included a film in memory of Hannah Brown.
The new video forms part of the £70,000 donated to UKST by the NFU Mutual’s Charitable Trust in 2022 to support the charity’s work in raising awareness of the risks of sepsis within the rural community.
