143 Hospitals Implementing ‘Martha’s Rule’
The patient safety protocol, known as “Martha’s Rule,” is aimed at ensuring that patients’ families have access to urgent second opinions. NHS England announced on Monday that this protocol will be tested in 143 hospitals.
Under Martha’s Rule, patients and their families will have 24/7 access to a critical care outreach team for second opinions when they have concerns about a patient’s condition. Hospitals are also required to gather information about a patient’s condition directly from their families daily.
This rule was named after Martha Mills, a 13-year-old girl who tragically passed away in 2021 due to sepsis after her deteriorating condition was not addressed despite concerns raised by her family. A coroner ruled that she could have been saved if she had been moved to intensive care sooner.
NHS England is working with Martha’s parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, to create materials explaining the initiative for patients, staff, and families. They aim to have the program in place at the 143 locations by March 2025 and expand it in future phases from 2025/2026.
Martha’s parents expressed their satisfaction with the implementation of Martha’s Rule and believe it will save lives and improve communication in hospitals. Professor Sir Stephen Powis commended Martha’s parents for their efforts in campaigning for this important change in patient care.
Dr. Aidan Fowler, NHS national patient safety director, is confident that Martha’s Rule will bring significant improvements in patient care by enabling patients and staff to raise concerns about deteriorating conditions and including patient and family insights in medical records.
Recent criticisms of the NHS for targeting whistleblowing doctors instead of addressing concerns have prompted calls for change and accountability within the healthcare system. Labour, under shadow health secretary Wes Streeting’s leadership, promises to pursue reforms to protect whistleblowers and hold accountable those who try to silence them.
