A crucial patient safety initiative, Martha's Rule, is set to be extended to all maternity units across England. This nationwide rollout will empower parents to request an urgent, independent review of their baby's or their own medical care if they believe a deterioration in condition is not being adequately addressed by healthcare professionals.
The move comes in the wake of a highly critical review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. The review highlighted a pervasive culture where patient and family concerns were frequently disregarded, leading to numerous missed opportunities to prevent harm and a failure to recognise and escalate the worsening health of mothers and babies over many years.
Martha's Rule was established following the tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021 from sepsis while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. A coroner concluded that Martha would likely have survived had medical staff identified the warning signs of her condition sooner and transferred her to intensive care. The policy ensures patients or their families can trigger a rapid review by an independent medical team when they are concerned about a patient's deteriorating health.
While Martha's Rule has already been implemented for inpatients in every acute hospital in England and piloted in 15 maternity and neonatal settings, its full extension to all maternity units marks a significant step. Health Secretary James Murray stated that this expansion is a direct response to the Ockenden report's findings and forms part of a broader effort to enhance safety for mothers and babies within the NHS.
Further measures announced include compelling current and former NHS staff to provide evidence in upcoming maternity reviews, with potential penalties of up to two years in prison for non-compliance. This is expected to utilise duty of candour laws, potentially impacting senior leaders in future reviews for areas like Leeds and Sussex. Additionally, stricter checks and measures will be introduced for mortuaries to ensure the respectful and dignified treatment of children's remains.
The Department for Health and Social Care has reported that Martha's Rule has already seen considerable use, with over 2,100 calls leading to changes in patient treatment. Crucially, more than 600 of these calls resulted in interventions that were potentially life-saving, facilitating transfers to higher levels of care. Mr Murray emphasised that the rule provides a vital mechanism for families to 'raise the alarm before it is too late', aiming to ensure families feel safe and heard within maternity settings.