Martha's Rule to be used at all acute hospitals in England after pilot at Wigan Infirmary

New data shows hundreds of patients benefitted from potentially life-saving changes to their care thanks to Martha’s Rule.

Martha Mills, 13, died in 2021 after developing sepsis in hospital, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike.

Her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to and in 2023 a coroner ruled Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.

Martha’s Rule was launched after campaigning by her parents to encourage patients, families and carers to speak to the care team if they notice changes in someone’s condition.

They can also seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates and they are concerned this is not being responded to, while staff can ask for a review from a different team if they are concerned appropriate action is not being taken.

In May 2024, NHS England announced the rollout of Martha’s Rule across 143 pilot sites, which included Wigan Infirmary.

Between September 2024 and June 2025, 4,906 calls were made to Martha’s Rule helplines to escalate concerns about care – leading to 241 potentially life-saving interventions.

Amost three quarters (71.9 per cent) of calls were from families seeking help, with 720 calls leading to changes in care.

This has led the NHS to expand its use to an additional 67 sites – meaning all 210 acute inpatient sites in England now offer the service.

Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents, said: "It would be Martha’s 18th birthday today, another milestone she has missed as a result of the poor care and hospital errors that led to her unnecessary death.

“We feel her absence every day, but at least Martha’s Rule is already preventing many families from experiencing something similar.

“The figures prove that lives are saved when patients and families are given power to act on their suspicions when they feel doctors might have got it wrong and their voice isn’t being heard.

“We are pleased to know more hospitals are taking up Martha’s Rule and look forward to a time when every patient in the UK knows about the initiative and has easy access to it."

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: “No family should ever have to go through what Merope and Paul endured when they lost Martha, but her parents' tireless campaigning has created a lasting legacy that is already having a potentially life-saving impact across England.

“Martha's Rule puts patients and families at the heart of their care. By rolling this out to every acute hospital in England, we're delivering on our promise through our Plan for Change to rebuild trust in the NHS and put patient safety first.”

Prof Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, said: “There is no shadow of a doubt that Martha’s Rule is having a transformative impact on the way hospitals are able to work with patients and families to address deterioration or concerns about care.

“There has now been almost 5,000 calls made to the hotlines, with hundreds of potentially life-saving interventions triggered, which is why we are now expanding Martha’s Rule to all acute hospitals in England."