Martha’s Rule Extended to All Acute Hospitals in England

Martha’s Rule, a telephone helpline that lets families request an urgent second opinion if they believe a loved one’s condition is worsening, is now available in every English hospital offering acute or short-term care.

Launched after the tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills at King’s College Hospital in London, the service has been piloted at 143 sites since April 2024. NHS England data shows nearly 5,000 calls and 241 potentially life-saving interventions to date.

Key findings from the pilot

• 4,906 calls received nationwide
• 720 cases led to changes in care, such as new antibiotics
• 794 addressed investigation or treatment delays
• 1,030 resolved communication issues or discharge concerns

Calls for UK-wide rollout

Merope Mills, Martha’s mother, praised the expansion on what would have been her daughter’s 18th birthday and urged Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to adopt the rule. She highlighted the need for similar measures in maternity care.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting thanked NHS staff for embracing the initiative and promised to share results with devolved administrations. He noted the importance of listening to patients—especially mothers—in order to prevent avoidable harm.

By empowering families to demand a second opinion, Martha’s Rule has uncovered critical gaps in care and saved lives, demonstrating the need for more inclusive doctor–patient relationships.

This topic was reported by BBC News.

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