Two local hospitals which are part of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) – Ealing Hospital in Southall and Central Middlesex in Park Royal – are set be part of the roll out of ‘Martha’s Rule’ in England from April 2024.
The new policy aims to provide patients and families with an urgent review if their condition worsens. NHS England says it plans for ‘Martha’s Rule’ to be “rolled out to at least 100 NHS sites” starting in April.
In 2021, 13-year-old Martha Mills died from sepsis at King’s College Hospital in London due to a failure to escalate her to intensive care and after family concerns about her worsening condition were not promptly responded to.
Following a campaign by her parents, Merope and Paul, patients and families will now be able to get an urgent review of their situation from a different team if the patient’s condition deteriorates and they feel they are not getting the care they need.
LNWH says it is awaiting further details about the application process and how it is to be fully implemented but intends to be one of the first trusts to sign up to it.
The Trust in the meanwhile says it already seeks to engage patients and their families and that people are given the opportunity to have a second opinion.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Pippa Nightingale, CEO of LNWH Trust said: “We always support greater patient choice and patients and families should have the opportunity to seek a second opinion if they wish.”
Ms Nightingale added: “There are hard questions around this regarding staff shortages and capacity but I would like to reassure patients that we always strive to provide the best care. If patients or families are concerned about the care they are receiving they have every right to raise this with staff and be listened to.”
 - Ealing Hospital in Southall and Central Middlesex in Park Royal - are set be part of the roll out of 'Martha's Rule' in England from April 2024.){kind=link}