Most New Zealanders have never heard of sepsis.

Unlike patients with major heart, lung, brain (stroke) or cancer diagnoses, “a little bit of sepsis is managed by everyone”.

This means that no one person, department or health discipline is responsible for sepsis or its outcome. This has led to a lack of research, awareness and advocacy which leaves sepsis patients and survivors with no natural advocate in the healthcare system.

It's hard to describe and it can be difficult to detect in its early stages, but if you can recognise the signs and symptoms early it could save a life.

The New Zealand Sepsis Trust aims to take up this role by promoting clinical tools, providing education and fundraising to build awareness and sepsis research capability.

People have often heard of blood poisoning (toto pirau) and septicaemia but sepsis is the accepted term for an overwhelming immune response to infection that damages the body’s tissues and vital organs. The New Zealand Sepsis Trust was formed when we found that no national organisation existed to bring sepsis into the public eye or to facilitate sepsis care and education.

Our Mission

Increasing awareness, saving lives

Our Vision

No preventable deaths from sepsis in New Zealand

Our Values

  • Ensure all frontline health care providers can recognise and manage sepsis
  • Fund research and quality improvement initiatives that support our mission
  • Provide support for patients with sepsis and their whānau
  • Increase awareness and understanding of sepsis and the common infections that cause it

Our Team

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Ashvindev Singh

Chairman

A Project, Programme & Portfolio Management professional with over 7 years of experience in healthcare, including Auckland DHB & the Health Quality & Safety Commission. Managed and delivered projects ranging from large scale change pieces, process improvement projects at a whole of DHB and individual business unit level & NZ wide project delivery implementations across all 20 DHBs and for higher government. Ashvindev’s particular focus is in systems engineering whereby using the principles of project management, service design, and customer experience to leverage against technology as an enabler to deliver on better patient outcomes. Ashvindev is also experienced in the ‘whole of organisation’ governance & strategy space.

Harvey Duncan

Harvey Duncan

Treasurer

Harvey is a retired banker who has a real interest in the need for the awareness of Sepsis in New Zealand and the need for support for Sepsis survivors and their families.

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Shona Barker

Sepsis Support Specialist

Shona is a sepsis support nurse specialist who has a nursing background in education specialising in child and family health. Shona has recently been employed by the Sepsis Trust NZ and is passionate about supporting and empowering people and whānau who have been impacted by sepsis. Shona facilitates support group meetings and also offers one-on-one support to anyone impacted by sepsis.  

Prof. Steve Chambers2

Prof. Steve Chambers

Patron

Steve is an infectious disease physician and professor in the Department of Pathology at Otago University. Steve has extensive experience in the management of infection-related charities and public sector healthcare organisations and a research background in novel infectious disease diagnostics.

Dr Paul Huggan

Dr Paul Huggan

Trustee

Paul is an acute medicine and infectious disease specialist at Waikato Hospital. He has a long-standing interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of sepsis.

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Dr Dan Dobbins

Trustee

Dan is an emergency medicine physician with an interest in the acute management of patients with infection and sepsis. Dan is at the heart of efforts to improve sepsis recognition and resuscitation in his emergency department.

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Dr Robert Martynoga

Trustee

Robert is an anaesthetist and intensive care physician with an interest in maternal and perinatal sepsis. 

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Jaclyn Aramoana-Arlidge

Board Member

Jaclyn is a general surgical registrar at Whangarei Hospital, on the general surgery training program. She is interested in Māori health equity and is a member of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa, the Māori medical practitioners Association.

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Felicity Leys

Board Member

Felicity has been involved in the advertising and design industry for many years, both in New Zealand and overseas. She has worked for a range of clients from not-for-profits to large multinationals and recently sold her shares in the Auckland advertising and design company which she co-owned for the last 15 years.

She is operating as an independent consultant/writer focussing on specific projects and areas of interest.

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Sarah Stevenson

Community Engagement

Sarah has international experience in website development, social media marketing, and spent recent years working for Waikato District Health Board before moving into the education sector. Sarah now focuses on the community engagement for NZ Sepsis Trust. 

Together we can make a difference.

Our 2023 #Stepforsepsis fundraising campaign is all about raising awareness and saving lives. By signing up and participating, you will be helping sepsis survivors throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand. Will you step up?

#Stepforsepsis