Helplines Receive Over 1,700 Calls from NHS Staff
More than 1,700 calls have been made by NHS staff in England to Martha's Rule helplines to raise concerns about patient care, according to new figures.
The helplines were established following a campaign by the parents of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died due to serious failings in her care.
Background of Martha Mills' Case
Martha Mills passed away at King's College Hospital in London in 2021 after developing sepsis. Her family’s concerns about her condition were not adequately addressed during her treatment.
In 2022, a coroner ruled that Martha would likely have survived if she had been transferred earlier to intensive care and received appropriate treatment.
Purpose and Function of Martha's Rule
Martha's Rule encourages families, carers, and patients to speak up if they observe changes in a patient's condition and to request an urgent review from a critical care team if their concerns are not being acknowledged.
Under the scheme, clinicians also document daily insights about a patient’s health directly from families. Additionally, staff members, including those in junior roles, can request a review from a team independent of their usual care team.
Expansion and Impact of the Helplines
The helplines have been operational in 143 hospital sites across England since September 2024. Between then and February of this year, nearly 1,800 calls were made by staff, with over 1,000 of these calls helping to identify serious deterioration in patients’ conditions, according to NHS England.
Comments from Martha’s Mother
"I've always said that I would have called the Martha's Rule number had it existed when she was in hospital. There was this one particular nurse who I think would have done it before me if it was available. I could tell that she was worried."
"I think about what that nurse might have done had the helpline been available when Martha was ill in hospital."
Merope Mills, Martha’s mother, spoke on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the importance of the calls coming from staff, noting that they use a "non-confrontational" method to raise concerns.
"The extremely hierarchical nature of medicine made it hard for junior staff to question their superiors."
Statements from NHS England
Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, stated that while not every call led directly to a life being saved, the scheme has "proven its worth."
"More than 500 patients were transferred to intensive care as a result of calls," Fowler said, "and there have been some vital changes to treatment."
"Some of the really important treatments are antibiotics, fluids given on the ward. And there's about 1,500 people who've had changes of care like that, all of which are potentially affecting outcomes, saving lives."
Future Plans for Martha's Rule
The NHS is expanding the initiative to include adult and child wards, with plans to extend it further to maternity, neonatal, and emergency departments.
