Phoneline launched at 3 West Yorkshire hospitals for people concerned their loved one is deteriorating
Call 4 Concern has been introduced in response to Martha's Rule
People whose loved ones are being treated at three West Yorkshire hospitals can now phone a new helpline if they think they are deteriorating.
Call 4 Concern has been rolled out at Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury Hospitals in response to Martha's Rule - a national campaign started by a mum who lost her daughter to sepsis in London and felt she wasn't listened to by medics.
The rule would essentially act as an extra safeguard for relatives who want a second opinion about treatment or have serious concerns.
It’s thought the Mid Yorkshire NHS Teaching Trust are the first in Yorkshire to introduce Call 4 Concern, which enables adult inpatients and their friends or families to raise concerns via a phone line.
Any concerns should be raised with the team caring for the patient on the ward first, but they can then call the number if they are still worried.
The Deteriorating Adult Response Team (DART) will handle the call and review what to do next. This may include an assessment of the patient, working alongside the medical team, or they may refer the concern to another health professional.
A note of the Call 4 Concern intervention will then be logged in the patients’ notes summarising the concern raised and any actions taken.
The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and includes all adult inpatients on a ward, excluding the Emergency Department and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC). The Trust says discussions are also underway to look at rolling it out to paediatric patients.
Associate Medical Director Dr Matthew Tinker said: “The earlier we recognise when patients are becoming more unwell, the better their outcomes can be. We know that sometimes family members may be the first to notice subtle changes in their loved ones’ condition or know when something just isn’t quite right.
“Patient safety is one of our main priorities here at MYTT, and we already have a number of robust systems in place to detect and respond quickly when a patient deteriorates during a stay in hospital.
“Call 4 Concern will provide an additional level of reassurance for patients and their loved ones and further highlights our commitment to providing safe and compassionate care.”