Martha's Rule to be taken on in region's hospitals

Ms Mills and her husband campaigned for a new scheme after they felt their concerns about Martha's condition were ignored

A scheme enabling patients and families to seek an urgent review if their medical condition deteriorates will be rolled out across 13 hospitals in the West Midlands.

Martha's Rule was launched after a 13-year-old girl , who died from sepsis, was not admitted to intensive care despite concerns being raised by her family.

An inquest concluded Martha Mills could have survived had her care been better.

NHS England has worked with her parents to develop the initiative which will be tested before planned implementation in 143 hospitals across the UK, by March 2025.

Martha was admitted to King's College Hospital, London, after she injured her pancreas while cycling. She later developed an infection that led to sepsis, from which she died.

The coroner's report said her death followed a failure of medical staff to escalate her to intensive care.

Escalation process

The scheme to address issues like this is to be made up of three components to make sure concerns about deterioration can be quickly responded to, NHS England has said.

An escalation process will be available 24/7, advertised throughout the hospitals on posters and leaflets, enabling patients and families to contact a critical care outreach team that can swiftly assess a case and escalate care if necessary.

NHS staff will also have access to this same process if they have concerns about a patient’s condition.

Clinicians at participating hospitals will also formally record daily insights and information about a patient’s health directly from their families, ensuring any concerning changes in behaviour or condition noticed by the people who know the patient best are considered by staff.

Martha Mills died from sepsis in 2021

It comes after a campaign by Martha's parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, prompted widespread support for a single system that allows patients or their families to trigger an urgent clinical review from a different team in the hospital if the patient’s condition is rapidly worsening and they feel they are not getting the care they need.

The West Midlands sites that will roll out Martha's Rule are:

• Royal Stoke Hospital (University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust)

• New Cross Hospital (The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust)

• Manor Hospital (Walsall Healthcare Hospital NHS Trust)

• Birmingham Heartlands Hospital (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust)

• Good Hope Hospital (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust)

• Queen Elizabeth Hospital (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust)

• Solihull Hospital (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust)

• Birmingham Children’s Hospital (Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust)

• Russell’s Hall Hospital (The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust)

• Birmingham City Hospital (Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust)

• Sandwell General Hospital (Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust)

• University Hospital Coventry (University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust)

• Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, Shropshire (Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)

Martha’s parents said: “It will save lives and encourage better, more open, communication on hospital wards, so that patients feel they are listened to, and partners in their healthcare."

Jess Sokolov, NHS England’s medical director for the Midlands, added: “This first phase is an important milestone which allows staff, patients and families in these areas to immediately raise concerns and bring about an escalation in care in an easily recognisable and fast way."