Few healthcare professionals, if any, cannot be unaware of sepsis and its clinical consequences. Publicity surrounding sepsis, initiated in no small way by the UK Sepsis Trust (sepsistrust. org), has used the shocking data on morbidity and mortality to bring a closer focus on the problem. This brief editorial review is aimed at providing an essential introduction to the basics of recognition and the urgent actions related to suspicion of sepsis, and some of the essential links to resources and guidelines aimed at early detection. A subsequent article will cover the lived experience of recovering patients post-sepsis in an attempt to highlight the pressing ongoing social and healthcare needs.