Martha's rule to be introduced in England

The health secretary has announced that the government is committed to bringing in "Martha's rule" in England, making it easier for patients and their families to get a second medical opinion if they believe their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff.

- Caroline Davies

The announcement by Steve Barclay follows a campaign by the parents of Martha Mills, who died in 2021 after hospital doctors failed to admit her to intensive care.

Martha, 13, died after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College hospital NHS foundation trust in south London.

A coroner previously ruled that Martha, who sustained a pancreatic injury after falling from a bike while on a family holiday in Wales, and who would have turned 16 last week, would probably have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier.

Martha's mother, Merope Mills an editor at the Guardian - has said that she and her husband, Paul Laity, had raised concerns about Martha's deteriorating health a number of times, but that these concerns were not acted upon.

A similar measure enforced in Queensland, Australia, has been shown to have saved lives.

Merope Mills welcomed the announcement, saying: "I met the secretary of state for health yesterday and welcome the news that he will introduce Martha's rule across NHS England hospitals.

He is prioritising its introduction and is ready to allocate funds to the initiative. It will be one standardised and recognisable right that will become part of patients' experience on hospital wards.