The scheme is to be made available in every acute hospital in England, the NHS has announced. New data shows hundreds of patients have benefitted from potentially life-saving changes to their care thanks to the scheme.
There are three core components of Martha’s Rule:
- Patients will be asked, at least daily, about how they are feeling, and if they are getting better or worse, and this information will be acted on in a structured way.
- All staff will be able, at any time, to ask for a review from a different team if they are concerned that a patient is deteriorating, and they are not being responded to.
- This escalation route will also always be available to patients themselves, their families and carers and advertised across the hospital.
RCPCH President, Professor Steve Turner, said:
Martha’s Rule is an important initiative to ensure that patients and their families feel heard and empowered to speak up when worried about their in-hospital care. Parents and carers can be the first to notice the earliest signs that something is not right after their child has been admitted to hospital, and their voices are crucial in safeguarding a child’s health.
The College welcomes the expansion of Martha’s Rule in acute hospital settings in England. We will continue to work with NHS colleagues to ensure that the roll-out of Martha’s Rule across paediatric settings is effective and accessible for all families.