Martha’s Rule to give NHS patients urgent access to second opinion

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Martha’s Rule is set to be implemented in 100 NHS hospitals in April, to allow patients to seek an urgent second opinion if they feel they are not getting the care they need.

The new legislation is to be rolled out across 100 NHS hospitals to give patients and their families round-the-clock access to a rapid review from an independent critical care team if they are worried about their own or a loved one’s condition.

Under Martha’s Rule, the escalation process will be available 24/7 to patients, families and NHS staff, and will be advertised throughout hospitals to make it quick and accessible.

Martha

NHS chief Amanda Pritchard said the programme had the potential to “save many lives in the future” and thanked Martha’s family for their important campaigning and collaboration to help the NHS improve the care of patients experiencing acute deterioration.

The new legislation is being implemented after thirteen-year-old Martha Mills died from sepsis at King’s College Hospital, London, in 2021, due to a failure to escalate her to intensive care and after her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to promptly.

Her parents, Merope and Paul campaigned extensively, supported by the cross-party think tank Demos and has seen widespread support for a single system that allows patients or their families to trigger an urgent clinical review from a different team in the hospital if the patient’s condition is rapidly worsening and they feel they are not getting the care they need.

Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents, said:

“We are pleased that the implementation of Martha’s Rule will begin in April. We want it to be in place as quickly and as widely as possible, to prevent what happened to our daughter from happening to other patients in the hospital.”

“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 recognised as a resource.

“We also look to Martha’s Rule to alter medical 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.”

As part of Martha’s Rule, health staff at participating hospitals will also formally record daily insights and information about a patient’s health directly from their parents or families making sure any changes in behaviour or condition are noted by the people who know the patient best.

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

“Hearing about the heartbreaking loss of Martha and the experiences of her family has had a major impact on people right across the country, with parents, patients and NHS staff welcoming her parents’ call for a simple process to escalate concerns when they can see a loved one’s condition worsening.”

Evaluation of the initial roll-out from at least 100 trust sites during 2024/25 will inform proposals for Martha’s Rule to be expanded further across all acute hospitals, subject to government funding.

Martha’s Rule to give NHS patients urgent access to second opinion

Martha’s Rule is set to be implemented in 100 NHS hospitals in April, to allow patients to seek an urgent second opinion if they feel they are not getting the care they need.

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