Martha's Rule has now been rolled out to all acute hospitals in England.
Martha's Rule enables patients and families to seek urgent review if a patient's condition deteriorates and a family is concerned that this is not being responded to.
It is named after Martha Mills who died in 2021 after contracting sepsis in hospital and suffering a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike. Her family's concerns about her deteriorating condition were not listened to and a coroner ruled that she probably would have survived if she had been moved to intensive care sooner.
Recent data shows that hundreds of patients have benefitted from potentially life-saving changes to their care thanks to the scheme.
Between September 2024 and June 2025, there were 4,906 calls made to Martha’s Rule helplines to escalate concerns about care. This led to 241 potentially life-saving interventions being triggered.
Following successful results, the NHS has now expanded Martha's Rule to another 67 sites, meaning all 210 acute inpatient sites in England are now covered.
71.9 per cent of calls have been from families seeking help, with 720 calls leading to changes in care.
794 calls led to clinical concerns such as medication or investigation delays being addressed, while a further 1,030 calls helped to resolve communication and discharge planning issues.
Martha's parents Merope Mills and Paul Laity, 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”.
Professor 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 have 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.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Merope and Paul who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue and continue to work with us to ensure Martha’s Rule is at the centre of our efforts to boost patient safety and quality of care.
“I also want to thank clinical staff up and down the country who have swiftly implemented this potentially lifesaving intervention and ensured it’s success”.
