Martha’s Rule Scheme Shows Early Success, According to Founder’s Mother

NHS England has disclosed that almost one out of every eight phone calls placed through the Martha’s Rule initiative have resulted in a treatment modification that could potentially save a life. This scheme enables patients whose condition is quickly worsening, along with their families, to contact a specific hospital number to request an urgent assessment from a critical-care outreach team if they believe their concerns are not being addressed. Merope Mills initiated her campaign for this scheme following an inquest that determined a different care plan might have averted the death of her 13-year-old daughter, Martha, from sepsis in 2021. On Tuesday, speaking to BBC R4’s Today programme, Ms Mills expressed her “excitement” regarding the initial data from the scheme’s implementation in 143 NHS hospitals throughout England. During September and October, out of 573 calls received, 286 (50%) prompted a critical-care review. This led to a change in treatment, including interventions like antibiotics, oxygen, or other medication, in 57 instances, with an additional 14 patients subsequently moved to intensive care. Martha had been admitted to King’s College Hospital, located in south London, following a cycling accident that caused a pancreas injury. Her death occurred after she developed an infection which progressed to sepsis. Martha’s mother conveyed to Today, “Losing a loved one in a preventable way compounds your grief and your devastation.” She further stated, “But if nobody learns from it, nothing changes.” Ms Mills noted that advocating for Martha’s Rule had been “exhausting,” but witnessing individuals prepared to learn from errors had provided solace to her and her husband. Ms Mills mentioned that “There were definitely sceptics” when the scheme was introduced in April. She informed Today, “There were people who said if you give patients this kind of power, they’ll call it for the wrong reasons – they will be complaining about food, they’ll be wanting a cup of tea.” She added, “And we have the first clear evidence that this is not the case.” “It’s clear to me that if we implement Martha’s Rule nationally, we can confidently say that it would greatly improve care, change the culture and save lives,” Ms Mills asserted. She drew attention to an Institute of Global Health Innovation report detailing over 15,000 preventable deaths in the UK during the previous year, suggesting that Martha’s Rule “could play a part in getting that number down.” Furthermore, she advocates for the scheme’s expansion to encompass all NHS hospitals, recommending consistent branding on posters and leaflets. Ms Mills further stated, “I’d really like it to be simple around the country and for patients to understand it in the way that they understand 999, and 111.” According to NHS England, the years 2025 and 2026 are slated for additional advancements to broaden the scheme’s reach and modify it as required. The NHS in Wales is currently trialling a comparable initiative, while a similar program is under consideration in Northern Ireland. In Scotland, existing legislation from 2019 already grants NHS patients the entitlement to seek a second medical opinion. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, who serves as the NHS national medical director, commented that initial data indicated Martha’s Rule was beginning to exert a “transformative effect” on patient safety. Dr Henrietta Hughes, England’s patient safety commissioner, reiterated this sentiment. She informed the BBC that she was “very encouraged and excited” by the preliminary data and expressed being “really hopeful” for its nationwide expansion. NHS England indicated that plans formulated for extending the scheme to all acute hospitals nationwide would be guided by an assessment of the system presently in operation at pilot hospitals. Further expansion of the scheme, as stated by NHS England, is contingent upon upcoming discussions concerning government funding.