Martha's Rule Launched in Inpatient Wards

02 Dec 2024
Today we have launched a new patient safety service at the Trust called Martha’s Rule.
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From today, if you are an inpatient on one of the wards* in our hospital, you may see Martha's Rule posters making you and your family or carers aware of the support available to you if there is a noticeable worsening in your condition.
Martha’s Rule is a patient safety critical care initiative from NHS England that allows patients, families, and carers to request a rapid review if they have concerns about a patient’s condition.
The initiative is intended to improve communication and responsiveness in hospitals, it was introduced on selected wards from December 2024, with the intention of implementing it across all of our hospital's wards by the end of Spring 2025.
The national initiative is named after Martha Mills, a 13-year-old girl who died from sepsis in 2021 after her family raised concerns about her condition. You can read more about the initiative on the NHS England website, by clicking here.
You can call if you are worried that you, or your relative or friend is becoming more unwell despite treatment. In the first instance you should raise your concerns with the ward nurses and doctors.
If you feel that your concerns have not been addressed appropriately or you have any on-going concerns after you have spoken to the ward nurse or doctor, then you should contact the Martha's Rule service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will connect you directly to our Critical Care Outreach Team. They will liaise with the patient’s medical team and instigate treatment or further review if necessary. They will also talk to you about your concerns and let you know what actions they have taken and why.
The Critical Care Outreach Team (CCOT) is a nurse led team that supports ward nurses and doctors who are caring for acutely unwell adult inpatients outside of our intensive care unit (ITU). CCOT nurses are senior nurses extensively experienced in the assessment and care of acutely unwell patients.
You can read more about the service, when it might be right to use it and how to get help or advice with other matters and find the number to call by visiting: www.whittington.nhs.uk/MarthasRule.
*The service is in operation in the following inpatient wards:
- Mary Seacole North and South Wards
- Nightingale Ward
- Montushi Ward
- Mercers Ward
- Victoria Ward
- Thorogood Ward
- Coyle Ward
- Cavell Ward
- Cloudesley Ward
- Meyrick Ward
- ITU
- Adult and Children's Emergency Department
- Adult and Children's Ambulatory Care
- Chemotherapy Suite
- Roses Day Care
- Ifor ward