In September 2023 I highlighted the tireless work done by the family of Martha Mills to improve patient safety in the NHS, ensuring that where a parent, loved one or family member had real concerns about the standard of care provided to their child, they could have these concerns addressed by requesting a second opinion on their care.

Following the campaign the then Health Secretary advised the scheme would be implemented in a number of hospitals and in July 2025 its impact was highlighted by the Sunday Times.

It is therefore very welcome news that the NHS has indicated that Martha’s Rule is being expanded to every acute hospital in England.

The initiative aims to improve patient safety by empowering patients, families, and caregivers to the ability to seek an urgent clinical review if they are concerned about a patient's condition and feel their concerns have not been adequately addressed. The statistics already indicate the positive effect on patient safety by:

• Empowering patients and families: It provides a formal and clear process for patients and their families to escalate their concerns. This is particularly important in situations where a patient's condition may be deteriorating, but the signs of that are not actioned by the clinicians.

• Facilitating timely interventions: the data shows that between September 2024 and June 2025, there were 4,906 calls to Martha's Rule helplines, with 241 leading to potentially life-saving interventions. Many of these calls resulted in changes to care, such as new medication being administered, and delays in investigations being resolved.

• Encouraging collaboration: It also allows healthcare professionals to use the rule to request a review from a different team if they are concerned about a patient's care. This promotes a culture of collaboration and ensures that a fresh perspective can be brought to complex cases.

• Preventing future tragedies: The rule was established in response to the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died from sepsis after her family's concerns were not acted upon. It serves as a way to learn from past tragedies and prevent similar incidents from happening.

Frequently, in the cases that I deal with, a common theme is that concerns were not listened to or appreciated, and as such the roll out of this guidance can only be positive news for improving standards of care on the NHS and protecting patient safety.