Ms Doireann O'Mahony:

As a charity we come face to face with people who have actually had sepsis and survived it. While this is a leading cause of death some people actually survive it but with serious, devastating, life-long complications such as amputated digits and limbs. This has a huge knock-on effect on their lives, their ability to engage in the workforce and their mental health. The broader picture needs to be looked at. What we are asking for is not so great when one considers the cost to the State in terms of inpatient stays for people with sepsis who might spend a couple of weeks in intensive care at huge cost and who might survive it but come out and need rehabilitation on an ongoing basis for the rest of their lives. We cannot lose sight of that.