Find out more
To find out more about our work on Martha's Rule, get in touch.
ContactMartha’s Rule
In May 2024, NHS England announced the roll out of Martha's Rule in support of the NHS Patient Safety Collaboratives' (PSCs) aim to prevent deterioration related harm. The PSCs, which sit within the 15 Health Innovation Networks (HINs) across England, have been selected as key delivery partners for Martha's Rule.
Overview
Martha's Rule is named in memory of Martha Mills who died in 2021, aged 13, after developing sepsis in hospital.
Martha's family had concerns about her deteriorating condition which were not responded to.
In 2023, a coroner ruled that it was likely that Martha would have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.
In response, three components of Martha’s Rule are being piloted across 143 sites across the country:
- Patients will be asked, at least daily, how they are feeling, if they are getting better or worse, and this information will be acted on in a structured way.
All staff will be able, at any time, to ask for a review from a different team if they are concerned that a patient is deteriorating and they are not being responded to.
- This escalation route will also always be available to patients themselves, their families and carers and advertised across the hospital.
Pilot 2024-2025
During the first pilot year, the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London has supported 13 pilot sites across 7 NHS Trusts to introduce and test Martha’s Rule.
This support continues in the second year of testing, with all acute hospital sites in south London now participating in the Martha’s Rule programme.
