Martha’s rule may have saved more than 500 lives in England since 2024 | NHS

More than 500 people have received potentially life-saving care thanks to Martha’s Rule, which gives hospital patients the right to seek a second opinion about their health.

They were moved to intensive care or a specialist unit after they, a relative or a member of NHS staff triggered the patient safety mechanism, which the NHS in England began using in 2024.

Martha’s Rule allows patients, loved ones and staff to call a hospital-run hotline if they are concerned about the person’s condition or treatment and request a “rapid review” of their care.

In the 18 months between September 2024 and February 2026, a total of 524 adults and children about whom concerns had been raised were transferred to an intensive or dependent care unit, specialist hospital or specialist division of the hospital where they were already hospitalized.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the figures proved Martha’s reign was “already having a life-saving impact”. It has been widely hailed as a major breakthrough in patient safety.

Martha’s Rule is named after Martha Mills, who died aged 13 in 2021 after her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not addressed by staff at King’s College Hospital in London.

His parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, have campaigned to persuade ministers, NHS leaders and doctors to implement the right to have a hospital patient examined by a different team to those treating them, which can lead to an escalation of their care.

After an inquest into her death a year later, the coroner ruled that Martha would likely have survived if doctors had detected earlier that she was suffering from sepsis.

The latest data from NHS England on how Martha’s Rule works shows that 12,301 calls were made to Martha’s Rule helplines in those 18 months. About one in three patients – 4,047 – identified a patient whose health was deteriorating. Three quarters of them (2,967) were carried out either by a patient and their caregiver, or by the patient themselves. Hospital staff carried out the other 1,080.

Mills, the Guardian editor, and Laity said it was “hugely encouraging” that 1,000 clinically trained staff had requested a review.

“It also makes clear that issues such as hierarchy, poor communication and the resistance of some doctors to being challenged affect day-to-day hospital care. These factors are crucial to any explanation of why Martha lost her life.

“For example, consultants failed to transfer her to intensive care, even though at least one nurse identified that that was where she needed to be: if Martha’s Rule had been in place, the nurse could have called the number.

“On the day of Martha’s serious deterioration, the hospital’s intervention protocol was tightly structured around the advice of the duty consultant on duty, who was at home, did not come to the hospital and was completely wrong, as a professional tribunal ruled: all doctors on duty were bound by hierarchy.

“Martha’s reign would have given them more freedom of action and might have encouraged them to take on more responsibilities,” they added.

An interim review of how Martha’s Rule works released Friday found that 32% of the public was aware of the initiative, which hospitals are promoting through posters and other means. However, those with higher education were four times more likely to have heard of it than those without.

Martha’s parents want to help promote “a public conversation about health care that explores culture and goes beyond the real problem of limited resources.”

Paul Whiteing, chief executive of patient safety charity Action Against Medical Accidents, said: “Too often the people we support still tell us about the culture of defense and denial that they face when they ask questions or express concerns about their treatment. If this rule challenges this culture, then its use needs to be expanded as soon as possible.”

Streeting said: “Martha’s parents fought tirelessly to turn the most unimaginable bereavement into something that truly changes the way our NHS works. Merope and Paul have pushed for practical change that puts patients and their families at the heart of care – and it’s change that is already having a life-saving impact.”

“This takes extraordinary courage, and the NHS owes them a huge debt of gratitude.

“The NHS is changing its culture and putting patient safety at its heart. Change is not always easy, but Martha’s Rule is proof that it can be done,” he added.