UKMLA AKT Guideline Update — January 2026: Sepsis, Pneumonia, Heart Failure
Three NICE updates that directly change first-line and next-step decisions on UKMLA AKT Paper 1 and Paper 2 stems. Linked to the MLA Content Map specialties they affect.
Three NICE updates in early 2026 change first-line and next-step decisions that appear on UKMLA AKT Paper 1 and Paper 2. This page is for UK medical students sitting the MS AKT.
Examiners mark the current UK pathway, not last year's notes. The three topics that moved are sepsis recognition and antimicrobial timing, pneumonia severity and antibiotic choice, and heart-failure pharmacological sequencing.
What changed
- Sepsis: earlier recognition, risk stratification, and timely antimicrobials — sequence and timing are the marks, not the drug name alone.
- Pneumonia: revised severity assessment and antibiotic prescribing for community- and hospital-acquired presentations.
- Heart failure: step-wise pharmacology for chronic care and acute exacerbation.
Why it matters for your AKT score
UKMLA stems reward the next best step under current NICE / BNF / CKS guidance. Two options can both be valid treatments; only one is first-line for this patient today. If your notes still gate SGLT2 inhibitors on cardiovascular risk alone, you will miss the February 2026 QS209 widening — see the May 2026 NICE refresh.
Practical checklist
- Review the updated sepsis, pneumonia, and heart-failure flowcharts against NICE.
- Audit personal notes so first-line sequences match 2026 guidance.
- Drill the three topics in the UKMLA AKT question bank, then one mixed mock.
- Map each topic back to the MLA Content Map.
Related reading
Common questions
Should I replace my old notes immediately after guideline updates?
Yes. Remove outdated first-line pathways quickly and rehearse replacement logic in timed question blocks so the new sequence becomes automatic.
Are guideline changes tested directly in UK licensing exam stems?
Often yes — both UKMLA AKT and PLAB 1 lean on current NICE / BNF / CKS guidance, usually through practical scenarios where sequence and first-step decisions reveal whether your knowledge is current.
Related updates
Stay current, stay ready
Every question and note is reviewed by our medical team against the latest guidance. Start practising with content that's kept up-to-date.