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Martha's Rule Expands to All A&E Departments in England
Confirmed
In Short: The NHS is expanding Martha's Rule to all hospital emergency departments in England, named after Martha Mills, who died at age 13 in 2021 due to sepsis.
The NHS is expanding Martha's Rule to all hospital emergency departments in England, named after Martha Mills, who died at age 13 in 2021 due to sepsis.
Prof Aidan Fowler, national director of patient safety at NHS England, said the expansion would give families and NHS staff a critical new lifeline to improve care and save more lives.
Actor Jason Watkins, whose daughter Maude died from sepsis in 2011, praised the rollout, stating that Martha's Rule is making a difference on the wards and benefits medical professionals by prompting them to reassess patient care.
Martha's Rule allows patients, loved ones, and health workers to request a second opinion on care by calling a dedicated phone number if they believe a patient's condition is deteriorating and their concerns are not being heard.
Scotland is beginning to use Martha's Rule, Northern Ireland is considering it, and Wales has a similar scheme called Call4Concern.
Martha Mills' parents, who are senior editors at the Guardian, spent years campaigning for the introduction of Martha’s rule, which allows people to call a hospital-run helpline with their concerns and seek a rapid review.
The initiative was expanded to every maternity and neonatal unit in England in June, giving women and parents the right to a second opinion about the care of a mother or baby.
Recent NHS figures show that July 2026 recorded the highest-ever monthly total of calls made via Martha’s Rule, with 1,678 calls logged.
What this adds
The rollout of Martha's Rule is expected to extend to maternity and neonatal units by March 2028.
What's confirmed
- It is already being rolled out across all inpatient wards.
What's still developing
- In 2022 a coroner ruled, external Martha would probably have survived if she had been transferred earlier to intensive care and given appropriate treatment.
- Watkins said the rollout of Martha's law could benefit medical professionals too, explaining: "Those extremely dedicated medical practitioners, nurses, doctors and consultants, it gives them a pause and a thought 'am I doing everything I can to assess this child accurately?'".
- During the eight-month pilot, 69 calls were made, with some patients going on to have urgent surgery or being transferred to intensive care, NHS England said.
- Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters Matthew Hopkins, acute and ambulance director at the NHS Alliance, which represents and supports the health and care system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said health bosses supported the move.
- A coroner later ruled that she would have survived had she been moved to intensive care sooner.
- Sometimes, it is also called the emergency department or casualty, the NHS explains.
- The rule is named after the late 13-year-old Martha Mills, who developed sepsis in 2021 while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London.
- As a SEPSIS survivor, hearing that Martha’s Rule is being rolled out across NHS hospitals brings such a deep sense of relief and hope.
- ℹ️ https://t.co/3NqcyhRK11 pic.twitter.com/iBHvuzLxJK Hospitals are also expected to extend Martha’s Rule to maternity and neonatal units by March 2028.