Martha's Rule helplines get more than 1,700 calls from worried NHS staff
More than 1,000 staff used the helplines to flag rapid deterioration, while nearly 6,000 other calls led to care improvements, NHS England said.
- Between September 2024 and February 2026, NHS staff in England made 1,781 calls to Martha's Rule helplines to trigger rapid reviews of patient care.
- Martha's Rule was established following the 2021 death of 13-year-old Martha Mills from sepsis at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, encouraging staff and families to speak up when conditions worsen.
- Data indicates 2,310 patients received care changes, including 534 life-saving interventions such as specialist ward transfers, with total calls reaching 12,301.
- Operating across 143 hospital sites, the scheme has "proven its worth," according to Professor Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, by identifying rapid patient deterioration.
- Awareness of the escalation process remains low, as only 32% of people are aware, prompting Health Secretary Wes Streeting to say there is "more to do to ensure that this crucial initiative can be accessed by everyone who needs it.
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11 Articles
Martha’s Rule EXPLODES — Doctors Can’t Ignore Families Anymore
Martha’s Rule has saved over 500 lives in English NHS hospitals by empowering families to override dismissive doctors, exposing deep flaws in government-run healthcare. Story Highlights 12,301 calls triggered rapid reviews from September 2024 to February 2026, with 534 life-saving interventions like ICU transfers and antibiotics. 72% of calls came from families and carers, proving...
NHS hails 'Martha's Rule' as life-saving after 12,000 staff raise concerns about patients
A patient safety scheme introduced following the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills has been used by NHS staff more than a thousand times to raise concerns about deteriorating patients, according to new figures published by NHS England
The Independent
The Independent (US)The ‘life-saving’ impact Martha’s Rule is having in NHS hospitals
The rule, which began a phased rollout two years ago, gives families formalised, 24/7 access to a second opinion and is now advertised throughout hospitals
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