PEOPLE worried that their concerns about hospital care are being ignored can now get a second look.
Martha’s Rule allows patients and their families to from a separate clinical team.
The has announced that the scheme will be expanded to every A&E department in England, including waiting areas.
It follows an eight-month trial at seven NHS trusts in which some calls led to patients having immediate surgery or being transferred to intensive care.
So what exactly is Martha’s Rule and when will it be available everywhere?
What is Martha’s Rule?
is a patient safety scheme designed to make sure concerns raised by patients, families, carers and staff are heard and acted upon.
Patients who believe their condition is deteriorating, or loved ones who are concerned about them, can use a dedicated 24-hour number to request a rapid review from a different clinical team.
staff can also trigger a separate review if they are worried about a patient and feel their concerns are not being addressed.
is not intended as a general complaints line or a way to request another opinion about a diagnosis – it’s specifically aimed at situations where someone may be becoming more seriously unwell.
The scheme and has since expanded across adult and children’s inpatient services.
show 19,177 Martha’s Rule escalation calls were recorded between September 2024 and July 2026, with July producing a record monthly total of 1,678.
When will Martha’s Rule be available in every A&E?
The rollout began on September 22, 2026, and is expected to be completed by March 2028.
This means patients should not assume their local A&E department already offers the service.
Patients should check their hospital trust’s website or ask staff whether Martha’s Rule is available, as hospitals are at different stages of introducing the scheme.
NHS England’s national director of patient safety, Professor Aidan Fowler, said: “A&Es see some of our most vulnerable patients, so the ability to raise concerns about deterioration quickly and trigger a rapid review of care is essential.
“Martha’s Rule is already having a transformative effect in making our acute care even safer, and by expanding Martha’s Rule into A&Es, we are giving even more patients, their families and NHS staff a critical new lifeline to help improve care and save more lives.
“Early testing has shown that Martha’s Rule can work well in busy A&Es and builds on the evidence from our adult and children’s wards, where thousands of calls have been made by patients, families and staff to date – with many leading to changes in treatment and potentially life-saving interventions.”
Martha’s Rule is also being expanded into maternity settings, while work is continuing in neonatal services.
Who was Martha Mills?
The rule is named after Martha Mills, who died aged 13 at King’s College Hospital in in 2021.
She had been admitted with a pancreatic injury suffered after falling from her bike before later developing .
Her parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, raised concerns as her condition deteriorated.
In February 2022, an inquest concluded that Martha would probably have survived if she had been referred to intensive care sooner and appropriately treated.
Her parents subsequently campaigned for patients and families to have a clearer way to escalate concerns when they believe something is seriously wrong.
