Martha's Rule could save lives...hope for parents after teen's tragic death

HEALTH Secretary Steve Barclay said yesterday he is considering calls to introduce Martha's Rule, which would give patients with care concerns the right to an urgent second opinion.

- Hanna Geissler

The measure was proposed by the parents of Martha Mills, who died of sepsis at 13 after an abdominal injury.

Merope Mills and Paul Laity said they repeatedly raised concerns about her deteriorating health at King's College Hospital in South East London but felt "powerless" and "ignored".

A coroner ruled Martha, who would have been 16 yesterday, would likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care sooner.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust later apologised for mistakes in her care.

Review

Merope, who has campaigned to spare other families their pain, said: "A national expert on sepsis worked down the corridor. Had he seen her following a review, we know her treatment would have been utterly different."