NHS England has announced the expansion of Martha’s rule to every Accident and Emergency (A&E) department across England, extending a patient-safety system that grants patients, family members, and medical staff the right to request an urgent clinical review.
The expansion, which begins this month, will cover emergency departments, including waiting areas, with a full phased rollout scheduled for completion by March 2028. Under the scheme, individuals in busy emergency units can call a dedicated, hospital-run helpline to trigger a rapid review of care if a patient’s condition is deteriorating and they believe their concerns are being overlooked by clinical staff.
The system is named after Martha Mills, a 13-year-old girl who died in 2021 from sepsis following a bicycle accident. A coroner subsequently determined that Martha would probably have survived had she been transferred earlier to the intensive care unit at King’s College Hospital in London. Following her death, her parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, campaigned for the nationwide implementation of a formal review mechanism in hospitals.
Official figures show that during the first 16 months following its initial rollout in English hospitals in 2024, Martha’s rule helplines received more than 10,000 calls. NHS data indicates the initiative potentially saved 446 lives over that period, leading to decisions where thousands of patients were transferred to intensive care units, administered necessary medications, or given alternative care interventions.
The initiative was previously expanded in June 2026 to encompass all maternity and neonatal units in England. Prior to the decision to roll out the system to all emergency departments, NHS England conducted an eight-month pilot in A&E units. During the pilot period, 69 calls were recorded, with several instances leading to patients receiving urgent surgery or being transferred directly to intensive care.
Prof Aidan Fowler, director of patient safety at NHS England, highlighted the necessity of rapid response options in high-pressure medical environments, noting that A&E departments treat particularly vulnerable patients and that early intervention during clinical deterioration is essential to acute hospital safety.
Sources
– [Guardian International](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/sep/22/marthas-rule-expanded-nhs-england)
Source: Guardian International
Corrections
If you believe this article contains an error, contact Herald Express with the source URL and supporting evidence.
Story synopsis gathered from: Guardian International — source
