The patient safety initiative has been launched at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to strengthen existing safety processes.
An initiative that gives patients, their loved ones, carers and staff 24-hour access to an urgent review when there are concerns about a patient’s worsening condition has officially launched at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH).
Following a pilot, the Trust has introduced Martha’s Rule in inpatient wards – including adult, children’s, neonatal, maternity and emergency department areas – at its four hospitals: the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Martha’s Rule was introduced following the tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills from sepsis in 2021. The rule allows patients, carers, families, or NHS staff to request an independent review when there are concerns that a patient’s condition is deteriorating or that care has not met expected safety standards. Its aim is to ensure that concerns are escalated promptly and acted upon before serious harm occurs. Since its nationwide rollout, Martha’s Rule has led to 446 confirmed life-saving interventions from nearly 5,000 calls received.
As Nina Vegad, director of client relations at TMLEP, explained: “These figures highlight the critical importance of giving every voice the power to trigger independent oversight in patient care.”
Request an urgent review
The launch means inpatients being cared for at the Trust and those who know them best, along with staff, can request an urgent review from an independent, specialist team if they feel a patient’s condition is worsening and that their concerns have not been fully addressed. The system strengthens existing safety processes, enhancing the level of care and ensuring concerns are heard and acted upon quickly and consistently.
“By introducing Martha’s Rule across OUH, we are strengthening patient safety by ensuring anyone who is worried about an inpatient’s deterioration can trigger an urgent review,” said Abi Mansfield, project manager for Martha’s Rule at OUH.
“It builds on the safeguards already in place, empowering patients, families, carers and staff to speak up. It also brings greater consistency to how concerns are managed across our hospitals and reflects our commitment to delivering compassionate excellence,” she added.
In October last year, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust officially rolled out Martha’s Rule, also known as Call for Concern, across its hospital sites.
Call for Concern was initially piloted on four wards across the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital, before becoming accessible to all wards. It has now been in place since the start of the year, with posters around the hospital sites directing people to call Cumberland Infirmary or West Cumberland Hospital if a patient’s condition is deteriorating. The Trust has said that the call will be answered by the critical care team, who will arrange for an urgent review.
