Martha's Rule resulting in more life-saving care, NHS data shows

Patients have been moved to intensive care or received potentially life-saving treatment such as oxygen as a direct result of hospitals adopting Martha's Rule, NHS data shows.

- Denis Campbell

Doctors and nurses have changed how they care for dozens of very sick patients since its introduction in many parts of the NHS in England during the course of this year.

Martha's Rule - named after Martha Mills, who died aged 13 in 2021 - gives patients and their loved ones the right to request an urgent review of the person in hospital's treatment.

That triggers their care being looked at by a team of specialists, who offer a second opinion.

"The introduction of Martha's Rule represents one of the most important changes to patient care in recent years, and we are really encouraged to see the impact it is already having for patients in this first phase," said Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director.