Hospital one of the first to adopt Martha’s Rule

Martha Mills died in 2021 after developing sepsis in hospital, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike.

Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2023 a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.

In response to this and other cases related to the management of deterioration, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England committed to implement ‘Martha’s Rule’ - to ensure the vitally important concerns of the patient and those who know the patient best are listened to and acted upon.

Barnsley Hospital has now rolled out the scheme, and is one of the first 143 sites across the country to do so.