MORE patients are dying from sepsis than anticipated at a hospital trust, new figures show.

Deaths from the silent killer at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust are 24 per cent higher than expected over the past six years.

The trust recorded 291 sepsis deaths between April 2013 and March 2019, 69 more deaths than what is expected, according to the NHS Digital figures.

Hospital bosses blamed the figures on higher levels of deprivation in the area, which they said increased chances of illness and reduced life expectancy.

Sepsis is a violent immune response to an infection and can be life-threatening if not picked up early.

The data comes after a family told of how they felt the hospital trust failed to spot sepsis in two of their relatives who have died.

Nigel Rayson, 56 and Lorraine Walton, 79, from Blackburn, both died at Royal Blackburn Hospital earlier this year.

But relative Jenna Rayson said the family only found out their loved ones had sepsis when they received their death certificates.

Hospital chiefs expressed condolences but could not comment further.

Ms Rayson, 34, from Ewood, Blackburn, described the latest figures as disgusting and said more needed to be done.

She said: "The hospital have failed us as a family and many other families.

"We had a lot of people coming to us after the article in the Telegraph had been published saying the same thing has happened to their relatives.

"They need to make sure they're testing people for sepsis earlier.

"These figures are disgusting."

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Professor Damian Riley, acting chief executive for the trust, said: “The trust has worked hard in recent years to reduce mortality raises from all disease causes, and we are pleased to report that our Summary Hospital Mortality Indictor (SHMI) - as independently reported – is classed as in the “as expected” range and is lower than it has been for several years.

“Our medical audits show the trust now performs well in terms of rapid administration of antibiotics and fluids for life-saving treatments for those patients suspected of having sepsis. This is very reassuring for our patients, and confirms the considerable steps we have taken.

“The other independently reported mortality indicators - such as the Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio - are “as expected” and for some measures is actually “better than expected” for our trust," he added.