Rollout of second opinion rule inspired by Martha

MARTHA'S rule, which gives patients and their worried families the chance to seek a rapid second opinion, will be rolled out to every acute hospital in England.

- By Jane Kirby

Hundreds of people have benefited from potentially lifesaving changes to their care thanks to the scheme, which was set up after the death of tragic 13-year-old Martha Mills.

She developed sepsis in 2021, while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in South London.

But a coroner ruled Martha would have probably lived if doctors had identified the warning signs of her deteriorating condition and moved her to intensive care earlier.

The teenager’s mum and dad, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, raised concerns about her health, but these were brushed aside.