Norfolk hospitals announce roll out of 'Martha's Rule'

Hospitals across Norfolk are to roll out 'Martha's Rule' in the next step of a major patient safety initiative.

The NHS has announced the 143 hospital sites that will test and roll out Martha’s Rule in its first year, including the Norfolk and Norwich and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals.

The purpose of Martha’s Rule is to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to.

The scheme is named after thirteen-year-old Martha Mills, who died from sepsis having been treated at King’s College Hospital, London, in 2021, due to a failure to escalate her to intensive care.

Her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to.

NHS England is working with Martha’s parents to develop materials to advertise and explain the initiative in hospitals across the country, to ensure it is something that all patients, staff, and their families can recognise.

Martha’s Rule is to be made up of three components to ensure concerns about deterioration can be swiftly responded to.

Support includes an escalation process which will be available 24/7, advertised throughout the hospitals on posters and leaflets, enabling patients and families to contact a critical care outreach team that can swiftly assess a case and escalate care if necessary.

NHS staff will also have access to this same process if they have concerns about a patient’s condition.

The 16 hospitals across the East to roll out Martha's Rule are:

• Addenbrooke's
• Basildon University
• Bedford
• Broomfield
• Colchester
• Ipswich
• James Paget University
• Lister
• Luton and Dunstable
• Norfolk and Norwich University
• Peterborough City
• Princess Alexandra
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn
• Southend University
• Watford General
• West Suffolk

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