NHS Staff Use Marthas Rule Over 1,000 Times in 18 Months

NHS staff in England have used Marthas Rule more than 1,000 times to identify acute deterioration in patients' conditions during the scheme's first 18 months from September 2024 to February 2026, according to figures released by NHS England.

The data shows hospital staff made 1,781 calls to Marthas Rule helplines across trusts, with 1,080, or 61 percent, linked to patients becoming critically unwell and requiring urgent escalation. Overall, the initiative prompted 12,301 calls from staff, patients and families. Of these, 4,047 related to acute deterioration, resulting in 2,310 treatment changes, including 524 transfers to intensive care or higher levels of care. Additional calls addressed other issues, such as 2,951 cases of delays in medication or tests and 3,054 instances of communication or discharge planning problems.

Marthas Rule, named after 13-year-old Martha Mills who died from sepsis at King's College Hospital in London in 2021, allows patients, families and staff to request a rapid, independent clinical review if they believe a worsening condition is not being recognized or acted upon. Martha had been admitted with a pancreatic injury from a bike fall, but her family's...