A WIDOWER campaigning to raise public awareness of sepsis has spoken of his concern after some health boards said they are wary that the move might cause "alarm".

Jim Robertson, from Glasgow, whose wife Liz died after suffering from sepsis aged 61, said he was astonished by the response after he petitioned the Scottish Parliament to back a national awareness campaign.

Health boards are actively working on reducing sepsis, but some are wary of such an initiative.

Mr Robertson told BBC News Scotland: "It still haunts me. In the last week, I would say, of Liz's life she was delirious, she was nauseous, she was constantly vomiting, she didn't know where she lived."

He believes she could still be alive if she had been diagnosed sooner.

In its written submission to the petition, NHS Dumfries and Galloway said a public campaign specifically about sepsis "may actually cause alarm and increase unnecessary attendance at GP practices or A&E departments".

NHS Forth Valley's submission read: "It is necessary to consider the unintended consequences of inappropriately increasing public awareness."

Other boards including Tayside, Grampian and Greater Glasgow and Clyde all said they would welcome a national public awareness campaign - something experts believe would save lives.

The Scottish Government said it would support any campaign to raise awareness of sepsis.

A spokesman added: "Our Scottish Patient Safety Programme is a unique national programme recognised as setting the benchmark for systemic approaches to health care improvement, including the treatment of sepsis.

"We have a long-standing commitment to raising awareness of sepsis, involving working closely with NHS Scotland and the Fiona Elizabeth Agnew Trust, supporting the Sock it to Sepsis campaign and promoting and participating in World Sepsis Day.

"We recognise that focusing on early identification of sepsis is critical - and treatment within one hour of recognition has led to mortality rates among those identified at this stage falling by 21 per cent since 2012."

Sepsis kills about 44,000 people every year in the UK, more than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.

It is caused when the body's immune system overreacts to infection.