Dr. Orla Healy:

Indeed, Mr. Staunton addressed our sepsis conference in September, and we have compared and contrasted the interventions in New York state in Rory's law with the actions that have taken place in Ireland. A sepsis guideline, which is a mandated guideline, was developed through the national centre for clinical effectiveness, dating as far back as 2013, and it has been continuously updated. In addition to that guideline, we have early warning scores in this country and they too are mandated. As part of the guideline, mandatory training for relevant staff was instituted, so doctors and nurses in our system are mandated to be trained. Many of the provisions made in Rory's law, therefore, are in place in this country, albeit under a different framework.

In regard to public awareness, the priority for the programme at the outset was addressing the area where mortality was highest, namely, the acute hospital setting. As was stated in the opening statement, there is a documented reduction in mortality of 20% since the introduction of the guideline and the mandatory training. Lest the perception be that all sepsis is preventable, regrettably, it is not, and I will allow my front-line clinical colleagues to discuss that in more detail at a later stage. There has been a reduction in mortality in the acute hospital setting, addressing areas where early intervention had the potential to impact on outcomes. Following on from acute hospitals, we moved on to GP awareness, and that GP quick reference guide is nearing completion.

In regard to public awareness, the next priority, that is well under way-----