Agenda
07:45 – 09:00
Trafalgar
Registration, Coffee & Networking
09:00 – 09:10
Waterloo
Welcome to LTS 2026 / The ‘Sepsis in 2026’ Story / Outlining the Day’s Agenda
Prof. Diane Ashiru-Oredope – Lead Pharmacist – HCAI – AMR – Sepsis Division: UK Health Security Agency
09:10 – 09:30
Waterloo
Could Shorter Courses of Antibiotics Treat Sepsis?
Suspected sepsis is a high-risk condition. The pressure for clinicians to initiate antibiotics for critically ill patients is high because undertreating a severe infection could lead to poor clinical outcomes. This presents a significant challenge to improving antibiotic stewardship in critically ill patients. The duration of antibiotics needed to treat sepsis is unknown. There is increasing evidence that shorter courses of antibiotics are as effective as longer courses for a number of infections. This talk will outline the antibiotic stewardship challenge in critically ill patients, discuss the current evidence based for antibiotic durations and discuss upcoming trials to address the evidence gap.
Dr. Tom Hellyer – Clinical Senior Lecturer – Honorary Consultant – Critical Care Medicine – Newcastle University
09:30 – 09:50
Waterloo
Targeting Quality Improvement in Sepsis Screening
Quality improvement programme into increasing the use of the screening tool.
John Hodson – Lead Nurse for Quality – Sepsis Focused – The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
09:50 – 10:10
Waterloo
The 2025 Updated NICE Sepsis Guidelines
Peter Barry – Consultant Clinical Adviser – NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)
10:10 – 10:40
Waterloo
MeMed BV in Clinical Practice
Explore the role of MeMed BV, a new diagnostic test designed to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. We will share the underlying technology and practical applications for improving patient outcomes and optimizing antibiotic stewardship. Attendees will gain insights into how MeMed BV supports evidence-based decision-making, reduces unnecessary antibiotic use, and integrates seamlessly into existing workflows.
Melissa Naiman – Medical Director, Sepsis & Host Response – Beckman Coulter Diagnostics
10:40 – 11:00
Waterloo
Questions & Answers
11:00 – 11:30
Trafalgar
Morning Coffee & Networking
11:30 – 11:50
Waterloo
Advances in Sepsis Detection
Prof. Ceire Costelloe – BA(hons) MSc PhD Cstat – Visiting Professor – School of Public Health – Faculty of Medicine – Imperial College London
11:50 – 12:10
Waterloo
The New NHS England Sepsis MSF (Modern Service Framework)
Prof. Ramani Moonesinghe OBE – National Clinical Director for Critical and Perioperative Care – NHS England [Confirmed]
12:10 – 12:40
Waterloo
Transforming Sepsis Triage: Real-World Evidence and Strategic Integration of Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP) at the POC
Delayed sepsis recognition and overstretched A&E workflows remain critical barriers to patient survival and hospital efficiency. This session explores how Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP) is closing this gap as a transformative point-of-care diagnostic for early sepsis identification and enhanced patient stratification.
The session will open with an executive briefing from the CEO, providing a strategic update on regulatory and clinical milestones. This includes the recent Pediatric IVDR claim extension and the initiation of new studies in high-acuity environments, such as Burn ICUs.
Professor Parissis will then share real-world insights on integrating PSP into emergency triage. He will discuss how the biomarker is used proactively to identify patients with suspected infection who are at risk of sepsis—supporting earlier intervention and more effective frontline decision-making.
The session concludes with a one-year UK update, detailing NHS implementation experiences and the growing clinical footprint of PSP across emergency and critical care pathways.
Patrick Pestalozzi – CEO – Abionic
Chris Brain – UK Commercial Lead – Abionic
Prof. John Parissis – Professor of Cardiology/Emergency Medicine – Attikon General Hospital, University of Athens, Greece
12:40 – 13:00
Waterloo
Questions & Answers
13:00 – 14:15
Trafalgar
Afternoon Lunch & Networking
14:15 – 14:45
Waterloo
Sepsis: Every Minute Matters – Rapid Detection with Compact Sequencing
Early and accurate identification of the causative pathogen is critical in the management of sepsis, where each hour of delay in appropriate antimicrobial therapy is associated with increased mortality. Conventional diagnostic workflows, including blood culture–based methods, often fail to deliver actionable results within the timeframes required for optimal ICU decision-making.
This presentation will examine the clinical application of cylindrical microarray technology for rapid, multiplex molecular detection of sepsis-associated pathogens and key resistance markers, as implemented by CubeDx. The talk will focus on assay design, including target selection, probe architecture, and the advantages of cylindrical microarrays in achieving high analytical sensitivity and specificity within a compact format.
We will review the end-to-end laboratory workflow, from sample processing through amplification, hybridisation, and result interpretation, highlighting opportunities to significantly reduce time to result compared with conventional culture and sequential molecular testing. Performance characteristics, including multiplex capability, analytical sensitivity, and specificity, will be discussed in the context of real-world microbiology laboratory and ICU requirements.
The session will conclude by considering the clinical impact of rapid molecular identification on antimicrobial stewardship, escalation and de-escalation strategies, and patient outcomes in time-critical sepsis management pathways.
Christophe Bayet – General Manager Global Business – CubeDx
Chris Lehane – Market Development Manager, Infectious Disease – Eurobio Scientific UK
14:45 – 15:05
Waterloo
Let’s Talk Sepsis With Patients & Their Families: Improving Engagement & Communication in line with the values of ‘Martha’s Law’
Hi, I’m Bex, and I have spent far too much time in hospitals. Though, obviously not quite enough, as I became a midwife; working in both community and acute settings. Life has sent more than its fair share of health challenges; whether they be genetically linked, just down to chance, or due to the effects of inadequate care. Finally! There’s a reason for frequenting far too many healthcare departments – What could be better than using these experiences to positively impact future
patient care?
For Let’s Talk Sepsis, we’ll delve into a lived-experience of how sepsis can impact the individual and those around them, how Martha’s Rule has given patients, their loved ones and carers a voice, and how important and impactful the involvement and engagement of the service user is when creating, maintaining and improving the care offered to them.
Rebecca Moss-Coleman – Organisational Development Consultant – Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
15:05 – 15:25
The Challenge and Uncertainty of Paediatric Sepsis Recognition
Waterloo
Recognising paediatric sepsis is notoriously difficult. This talk will share lessons from our practice and quality improvement programme at the Great North Children’s Hospital, focussing on why we still miss sepsis, how uncertainty drives decisions, and how simple changes can help teams act earlier, escalate faster, and improve outcomes and how these lessons can be translated to adult care.
Dr. Emma Lim – Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Paediatric Sepsis Lead – Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
15:25 – 15:40
Waterloo
Questions & Answers
15:40 – 16:10
Trafalgar
Afternoon Coffee & Networking
16:10 – 16:30
Waterloo
NICE HealthTech Guidance (HTG386): Procalcitonin Testing for Diagnosing and Monitoring Sepsis
- What is NICE HTG386?
- How does it apply to my current sepsis care?
- How might it change as a result of new NIHR care evidence in adults and children with sepsis?
Prof. Paul Dark – Vice Dean – Faculty of Biology – Medicine and Health – NIHR Senior Investigator – The University of Manchester
16:30 – 16:40
Waterloo
Questions & Answers
16:40 – 17:00
Waterloo
What Have We Learned Today – and What Do We Do Next?
Interactive ‘Round-up’ of the day’s activities (conference chair/conference-delegates)
17:00
Close of Conference