NHS to roll out ‘Martha’s rule’ from April 2024

Set to be introduced in 100 English hospitals, the new rule will allow for patients whose health is failing to be granted the right to an urgent second opinion.

The new initiative, which was announced today, will allow for patients and their families to get a review on their condition by a different doctor or nurse who isn’t involved in the original medical team that is currently treating them.

Announcing the new rule today, Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said: ‘While the need for escalation will hopefully only be needed in a small number of cases, I have no doubt that the introduction of Martha’s rule has the potential to save many lives in the future.’

The new rule has been put in place after 13-year-old Martha Mills died of sepsis at King’s College hospital in London in 2021. After looking into the young girls death, an inquest heard that it could have been prevented if she was moved into intensive care sooner.

Whilst on a summer holiday Martha had sustained an injury to her pancreas when she fell off her bike. However medical professionals failed to listen to her parents’ concerns, including the possibility that Martha could have had sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection. In addition, some of the doctors admitted they knew days before she died that Martha had sepsis but failed to tell her parents and ad it her to intensive care.

Commenting on the news, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents, said: ‘We believe Martha’s rule will save lives. In cases of deterioration, families and carers by the bedside can be aware of changes busy clinicians can’t. Their knowledge should be treated as a resource.

‘We also look to Martha’s rule to alter medial culture: to give patients a little more power, to encourage listening on the part of medical professionals, and to normalise the idea that even the grandest of doctors should welcome being challenged.’

The 100 hospitals adopting Martha’s rule – larger hospitals which have a critical care team on call around the clock – will advertise its existence to patients and visitors through posters and leaflets.

Health and care secretary, Victoria Atkins, has also praise Martha’ parents for having ‘worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Martha’s case and of the need to introduce measures that will help ensure no family ever has to go through anything similar again.’

Images: Shutterstock

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