New rule being introduced at all hospitals in England after death of girl, 13

A new patient safety initiative, known as Martha’s Rule, will be introduced across every hospital in England that delivers acute or short-term treatment, NHS England has confirmed. The scheme, which allows families to seek an urgent second opinion if they are concerned about the care of a loved one, follows the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died in 2021 after serious failings in her treatment at King’s College Hospital in London.

Martha developed sepsis, but her parents’ concerns were not acted upon. In 2022, a coroner ruled she would probably have survived if she had been transferred earlier to intensive care and given appropriate treatment.

The new system provides patients, families, and carers with direct access to a critical care team through a dedicated telephone helpline.

It encourages relatives to raise concerns if they notice deterioration that staff have not acted on, while clinicians—including junior doctors, can also request an independent review from outside their immediate team.

Since its pilot launch in April 2024 across 143 hospital sites, the initiative has already shown a significant impact. Figures released by NHS England reveal there have been 4,906 calls to the helplines:

• 241 potentially life-saving interventions were made

• 720 calls led to changes in care, such as prescribing new antibiotics or other treatments

• 794 helped address delays in investigations or procedures

• 1,030 resolved communication issues, including disagreements about discharge plans

Almost three quarters of all calls (71.9%) came from families raising concerns about their loved ones’ care.

Martha’s mother, journalist Merope Mills, who campaigned tirelessly alongside her husband for the rule, described the national rollout as an important step.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on what would have been Martha’s 18th birthday, she said the figures demonstrated the need for a “different, more equal kind of doctor-patient relationship.”

While she welcomed the expansion in England, she added that her goal was to see Martha’s Rule extended across the whole UK.

NHS England leaders said the new approach marks a shift toward greater partnership with patients and families, aiming to prevent tragedies like Martha’s by ensuring concerns are not dismissed.

Martha’s Rule is expected to be in place at every acute hospital in England within the next year.