Martha's rule: Hospital says second opinion phone line saves lives

Martha Mills was enjoying her summer holidays before she had an accident

A phone line providing hospital patients with urgent second opinions saves lives, a senior nurse has said.

Royal Berkshire Hospital's Call 4 Concern line was highlighted in the wake of 13-year-old Martha Mills dying after a misdiagnosis in London in 2021.

Martha's mother is calling for the introduction of "Martha's rule" to make it easier to get quick second opinions.

RBH's chief nurse Eamonn Sullivan said the line based in Reading had received 37 calls over the past year.

He said the helpline was a "last safety net" and - despite concerns it would increase workloads - staff could respond rapidly and "want to intervene should a family member be unhappy with the care".

"Each of those calls is really important [and] precious and our teams do react very swiftly to them," he added.

After an inquest said Martha could have survived with better care, her parents have pushed for a law, to be named after their daughter, which would allow patients to voice concerns over diagnoses and treatment.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay told the House of Commons he had now asked colleagues to explore the idea.

He said: "Martha's rule would be similar to the Queensland system called 'Ryan's rule' - it's a three-step process that allows patients or their families to review a clinical review of their case from a doctor or a nurse if their condition is deteriorating or not improving as expected.

"I've asked my department and the NHS to look into whether similar measures could improve patient safety here in the UK."

Merope Mills said her family was "not given the full picture" about Martha's deteriorating condition - leaving them unable to speak up for better treatment.

Merope Mills, Martha's mother, said: "More agency on the part of patients to challenge the culture will make hospitals safer.

"Asking for a second opinion shouldn't be a problem and it shouldn't involve confrontation."

Martha became sick after a fall from her bike during a family holiday caused significant damage to her pancreas.

She later developed sepsis - when the body's response to an infection is overwhelming and ends up injuring its own tissues and organs.

Mrs Mills said doctors told her the extensive bleeding was "a normal side-effect of the infection, that her clotting abilities were slightly off."

The King's College Hospital Trust said it remained "deeply sorry that we failed Martha when she needed us most".

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].