The NHS will roll out ‘Martha’s Rule’ nationwide in a significant step forward in enhancing patient safety across the health service.
The head of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, has revealed plans for the implementation of ‘Martha’s Rule’ in hospitals across England starting in April, aiming to empower patients and their families to seek urgent reviews if their condition deteriorates.
Inspiration from Martha’s tragic story
The initiative is named after thirteen-year-old Martha Mills, who tragically lost her life to sepsis at King’s College Hospital in 2021 due to a failure to escalate her to intensive care.
Martha’s family and cross-party think tank Demos tirelessly campaigned for a system that would enable patients or their families to trigger urgent clinical reviews if they believe the patient’s condition is rapidly deteriorating and requires immediate attention.
Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents, expressed the significance of the policy: “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 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.
“We call on all NHS clinicians to back the initiative: we know that the large majority do listen, are open with patients and never complacent – but Martha’s doctors worked in a different culture, so some situations need to change.
“Our daughter was quite something: fun and determined, with a vast appetite for life and so many plans and ambitions – we’ll never know what she would have achieved with all her talents. Hers was a preventable death, but Martha’s Rule will mean that she didn’t die completely in vain.”
How will Martha’s Rule improve patient safety?
Martha’s Rule is designed to provide patients and their families with round-the-clock access to rapid reviews from independent critical care teams if they have concerns about their or their loved one’s condition.
This escalation process will be readily available 24/7 to patients, families, and NHS staff, ensuring accessibility and swift action when needed.
Building on the success of the NHS England’s Worry and Concern pilots launched at seven trusts last year, the nationwide rollout of Martha’s Rule will commence at least 100 trust sites during 2024/25.
This initial phase will undergo thorough evaluation to inform proposals for further expansion across all acute hospitals, pending government funding.
While Martha’s Rule will initially focus on acute hospitals, NHS teams will explore ways to adapt and implement a similar model across other healthcare settings, including community and mental health hospitals. This comprehensive approach underscores the commitment to enhancing patient safety across all facets of healthcare delivery.
Amanda Pritchard added: “Hearing about the heartbreaking loss of Martha and the experiences of her family has had a major impact for 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.
“NHS teams have been piloting ways to better identify and respond in these cases over the last year, and the roll-out of a national programme to give patients and families 24/7 access to a rapid clinical review will now help ensure that those experiencing acute deterioration can be identified and treated much more quickly.
“I know I speak on behalf of all NHS staff when I thank Merope and Paul for their extraordinary campaigning and collaboration on this hugely important issue – 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 rollout of Martha’s Rule represents a significant stride towards improving patient safety and empowering patients and their families within the NHS.
It holds the promise of saving countless lives and ensuring that every patient receives the timely and appropriate care they need.
