AN MP attended an event to support a national awareness campaign for a disease.

Rebecca Harris, MP for Castle Point, attended a reception at the Palace of Westminster to show her support for efforts to tackle the relatively unknown illness sepsis, which claims the lives of 44,000 people every year in the UK.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues and organs.

The event was attended by many MPs, and was supported by representatives from charities and the medical and nursing Royal Colleges, sepsis survivors, doctors, nurses, health professionals and the general public.

At the reception, Dr Ron Daniels, Chief Executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, formally launched the national public awareness campaign on sepsis, supported by Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health.

Rebecca Harris MP said: “I have several constituents who have nearly died from sepsis ranging from tiny new born babies to strapping healthy men.

"Awareness is needed to catch more cases in time.”

Early symptoms of sepsis include a high or low body temperature, shivering, a fast heartbeat and fast breathing. Severe sepsis or septic shock can develop soon after, symptoms of which include faintness, confusion, vomiting, muscle pain and breathlessness.