Families of patients in Lincolnshire hospitals are being encouraged to raise any concerns
The project comes following Martha's Rule
A new service is being rolled out across Lincolnshire's hospitals to encourage patients, families and carers to speak up about concerns surrounding a person’s deteriorating condition.
It's been developed as part of ‘Martha’s Rule’ - named after a young girl who died having developing sepsis in hospital where she'd been admitted after falling off her bike.
Her family raised concerns - a coroner ruled last year if she'd been moved to intensive care earlier - she probably would still be here.
We've been speaking to Becky Edwardes who's part of the team that coordinates the new service in Lincoln.
She told us: "Eventually our aims are to prevent deterioration and where necessary admit patients into our intensive care unit whilst working alongside the ward teams."
This is to ensure that vitally important concerns of the patient themselves and their loved ones are heard
"The call for concern element has been developed as part of Martha's rule."
"NHS England has committed to implement Martha's rule throughout the NHS nationally."
"This is to ensure that vitally important concerns of the patient themselves and their loved ones are heard and therefore acted upon in a timely manner."
"I think we've all said that even if this service captures just one or two patient deteriorations and prevent that patient to come to intensive care - which nobody essentially wants to happen - and ultimately saving someone's life - that can only be a good thing."
"When we get that referral we'll be asking has that concern been raised with the ward team themselves because if that hasn't that's the first thing we'll ask them to do."
"Because sometimes the main barriers are often around communication so it's just making sure those have been ideally addressed."
"If not that is what this service is about."