The mother behind Martha’s Law shares the plan’s early success

NHS England has revealed that almost one in every eight phone calls made under the Martha’s Rule scheme has resulted in a potentially life-saving change in treatment.

The scheme allows patients and their families whose condition is rapidly deteriorating, who feel their concerns are being ignored, to dial a phone number at the hospital and be contacted by the critical-care outreach team. Can request immediate review.

After this Merop Mills started a campaign for this scheme. During investigation it was found out Changes in the care plan could have prevented the death of their 13-year-old daughter Martha from sepsis in 2021.

And on Tuesday, she told BBC R4’s Today program that she was “enthused” by early data from its rollout in 143 NHS hospitals across England.

Critical care was reviewed in 286 (50%) of 573 calls in September and October, resulting in changes to treatment such as antibiotics, oxygen or other medications in 57 cases and transfer of another 14 patients to intensive care. Care.

Martha, admitted to King’s College Hospital in south London after injuring her pancreas in a bicycle accident, died of infection, which led to sepsis.

“Losing a loved one in a preventable way compounds your grief and devastation,” her mother told TODAY.

“But if no one learns from this, nothing will change.”

Campaigning for Martha’s rule had been “exhausting” but seeing people willing to learn from mistakes helped her and her husband.

“There were certainly doubts” at the launch of the scheme in April, Ms Mills said.

He told TODAY: “There were people who said that if you gave patients that kind of power, they would call for it for the wrong reasons – they would complain about the food, they would want a cup of tea.

“And we have the first clear evidence that this is not the case.”

“It’s clear to me that if we implemented Martha’s Law nationally, we can say with confidence that it would significantly improve care, change culture, and save lives.”

Ms. Mills highlighted a institute of Global Health Innovation Report Of the more than 15,000 preventable deaths in Britain last year, he said Martha’s Law “could play a role in reducing that number”.

And she is calling for the scheme to be extended to all NHS hospitals, with posters and leaflets displaying the same branding.

“I would really like it to be simplified across the country and for patients to understand it in the same way as they understand 999 and 111,” Ms Mills said.

NHS England says 2025 and 2026 will see further developments to expand the scheme and adapt it where necessary.

A similar scheme is being run by the NHS in Wales and is being considered in Northern Ireland.

And in Scotland, 2019 legislation already gives NHS patients the right to request a second opinion.