Martha's Rule rolled out at every A&E in England
NHS expands Martha's Rule to all hospital emergency departments in England, allowing patients and families to seek second opinions. Full rollout by March 2028.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- NHS expands Martha's Rule to all emergency departments across England
- Patients and families can call a dedicated number to seek second opinions
- Pilot program across seven trusts recorded 69 calls over eight months
- Nationwide expansion targeted for completion by March 2028
The UK National Health Service is expanding Martha's Rule to all hospital emergency departments across England, empowering patients and families to challenge medical staff and seek second opinions regarding their ongoing care if their concerns are overlooked.
The initiative is named after Martha Mills, who passed away at the age of 13 at King's College Hospital in London back in 2021 following complications from blood poisoning, or sepsis. Her parents, Merope and Paul, campaigned to change hospital culture after discovering that their repeated warnings and concerns were ignored by medical staff.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Under the updated system, patients, loved ones, and emergency unit staff will be given access to a dedicated phone number to trigger an immediate clinical review if a patient's condition deteriorates and they feel their worries are going unheard. Additionally, staff members themselves are authorized to request reviews from alternate medical teams if appropriate actions are not being promptly taken.
The nationwide rollout is currently underway and scheduled for completion by March 2028, following a successful trial period across seven hospital trusts. During the eight-month pilot phase, the dedicated Martha's Rule numbers received 69 calls, including alerts regarding acute clinical deterioration that directly resulted in immediate surgeries or ICU transfers for patients.
The implementation of Martha's Rule marks a critical shift in patient safety culture by addressing diagnostic overshadowing—a common medical phenomenon where subtle warning signs are dismissed due to professional overconfidence. By giving families a direct mechanism to bypass standard hierarchy and trigger urgent reviews, the initiative builds a vital safety net that translates lived observation into immediate lifesaving interventions.
In 2022, a coroner's ruling concluded that Martha likely would have survived if she had been transferred to intensive care sooner and given correct medical intervention. She had initially been admitted following a severe bicycle accident during a family holiday that caused significant damage to her pancreas, subsequently developing an unmanaged infection and sepsis.
"wider efforts to put patient safety at the heart of the NHS."
Baroness Merron, Health Minister
Patients and relatives can check whether Martha's Rule is active at their local hospital or NHS trust by visiting official websites or inquiring directly with hospital staff. Meanwhile, Scotland has initiated the adoption of Martha's Rule, Northern Ireland is evaluating implementation, and Wales currently operates a comparable framework known as Call4Concern.
Source: BBC Health
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