Over 10,000 Calls to Martha’s Rule Led to 1,885 Treatment Changes Across NHS Trusts

KEY INFORMATION:

• Over 10,000 escalation calls were made to Martha’s Rule helplines in the first 16 months.
• One in three calls identified a rapid worsening of a patient’s condition.
• The scheme led to 1,885 changes in treatment and 446 life-saving interventions.
• All NHS adult and paediatric acute inpatient sites are now implementing the rule.
• Martha’s Rule allows patients and families to trigger an urgent review from a different clinical team.

NHS England has released data showing that more than 10,000 calls were made to Martha’s Rule helplines during its first 16 months of operation.

The scheme, which was introduced to allow patients and families to seek an urgent review if a condition deteriorates, has resulted in hundreds of life-saving interventions.

The Martha’s Rule patient safety initiative has now been implemented across all adult and paediatric acute inpatient sites in the NHS. Statistics indicate that 34% of calls made to the dedicated helplines identified an acute deterioration in a patient's health, allowing for faster clinical responses.

Impact on clinical outcomes and treatment

Between September 2024 and December 2025, a total of 10,119 escalation calls were recorded. These calls led to 1,885 patients receiving immediate changes in their treatment plans. Specifically, 446 of these cases involved potentially life-saving interventions, such as transferring a patient to an enhanced level of care or intensive care unit.

The data suggests that the process is meeting a specific need for clinical escalation. Over 6,000 calls addressed wider concerns regarding communication or coordination between medical teams. This has led to meaningful improvements in how families navigate the hospital system during critical periods.

Merope Mills, Martha’s mother, said: “The more data that is gathered, the clearer it becomes that Martha's Rule is having a hugely positive effect. Apart from the lives saved, over a third of the calls have led to a marked improvement in care.”

National roll-out and awareness

Hospitals across the country have implemented communication campaigns to ensure the programme is accessible. This includes the use of dedicated posters in wards to normalise the use of helplines for patients and families. The initiative encourages a structured approach where staff obtain information about a patient’s condition from their relatives at least once daily.

The rule was established following the death of Martha Mills in 2021. Martha died at age 13 after developing sepsis. A coroner previously ruled that she probably would have survived if she had been moved to intensive care earlier.

Dr Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, said: “Martha’s Rule is already helping to save lives and transform the culture of the NHS – with 10,000 calls made to the helplines in just over a year and over four hundred potentially life-saving interventions triggered.”

Future implementation and expansion

Following the success of the initial 143 pilot sites, the NHS is continuing to embed the rule into standard practice. There are also calls to expand the programme into maternity departments. Further discussions are ongoing regarding the introduction of similar rules in Wales and Scotland to ensure consistent patient safety standards across the UK.

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION: This report is based on official data from Council / Local Authority. Document: **Over 10,000 calls to Martha’s Rule in first 16 months to trigger urgent review of care Source Link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/03/over-10000-calls-to-marthas-rule-in-first-16-months-to-trigger-urgent-review-of-care/

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