NHS Staff Call Martha's Rule Helplines Over 1,700 Times Since September 2024
New figures reveal that National Health Service (NHS) staff across England have made in excess of 1,700 calls to Martha's Rule helplines, flagging concerns regarding patient care. These helplines were established following a campaign by the parents of Martha Mills, a 13-year-old who tragically died after significant failings in her treatment.
Martha's mother, Merope Mills, suggested that a particular nurse involved in Martha's care might have used such a helpline had it existed at the time. The NHS is now in the process of extending the availability of these crucial helplines throughout England.
Martha Mills passed away at King's College Hospital in London in 2021 due to sepsis. Her family's concerns about her deteriorating condition were not adequately addressed. A coroner concluded in 2022 that Martha would likely have survived if she had been transferred to intensive care sooner and received appropriate treatment.
Martha's Rule empowers families, carers, and patients to raise concerns about changes in a patient's condition and to seek an urgent review from a critical care team if health is worsening and concerns are disregarded. The scheme also mandates clinicians to document daily insights provided by families regarding a patient's health. Crucially, staff, including junior personnel, can request an independent review from a team outside their direct line of work.
Since their introduction in 143 hospital sites in England in September 2024, the helplines have received nearly 1,800 calls from staff up to February of this year. Over 1,000 of these calls assisted in identifying serious patient deterioration, according to NHS England.
Merope Mills underscored the importance of staff-initiated calls, highlighting their
