Martha’s Rule implemented at hospital in bid to improve patient safety

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn is successfully rolling out Martha’s Rule to improve patient safety.Martha’s Rule is named after 13-year-old Martha Mills, whose death from sepsis in 2021 highlighted the need for better escalation protocols across the NHS.The rule enables patients and their families to directly ask for a second opinion of a patient’s condition if they feel they are getting worse and their concerns are not being addressed.

The initiative is part of a national effort to improve patient safety across the NHS, and the QEH is “proud” to be have been chosen as one of the leading hospitals in the East of England to implement the rule.Between September and December 2024, the QEH has seen clear results from this pioneering approach.In this time period, 17 calls were made by concerned families requesting a second onion of a loved one’s care. In over half of the cases, reviews were carried out – with three of the calls leading to patients having their care changed, illustrating the practical impact of this potentially life-saving system.Mike Albert, deteriorating patient lead at the hospital, said: “The introduction of Martha’s Rule has been well received by both families and clinical teams. “It gives patients and their loved ones a voice in their care and ensures that their concerns are always taken seriously.“The benefits of this scheme are already clear, with patients receiving more timely interventions that can make all the difference in their recovery.“It empowers families to partner with clinicians in safeguarding patient well-being, ultimately improving care outcomes.” The QEH’s involvement in Martha’s Rule is part of a wider, NHS England-funded patient safety programme.The hospital, alongside James Paget and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, is helping to pilot this innovative approach, with full nationwide implementation expected later in 2025.An important part of the roll-out includes the hospital introducing visible and accessible information, like posters and leaflets, to ensure that patients, visitors, and staff know how to raise a concern quickly.The hospital has implemented a Call for Concern (c4c) Service​​​​​​, which allows patients and families to contact the critical care outreach team at any time via a dedicated phone or text line when it is felt deterioration concerns have not been addressed by the team looking after the patient. This service provides a direct line of communication for patients and their families to ensure that any escalating concerns are heard and acted upon promptly.Pippa Street, chief nurse at the QEH, said: “We are proud to be part of the roll-out of Martha’s Rule and are already seeing its positive effects.“The feedback from patients and families so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are committed to ensuring this service continues to make a real difference.”