- Martha’s Rule, which lets patients, families and staff trigger an urgent review if a patient’s condition is deteriorating, is being extended to all A&E departments in England by March 2028.
- A pilot across seven NHS trusts led to 69 calls, with some patients receiving urgent surgery or a transfer to intensive care.
- July 2026 saw 1,678 Martha’s Rule calls, the highest monthly total so far.
Families in England who fear a loved one is getting worse in the emergency room will soon be able to call for an urgent review of their care, as Martha’s Rule expands to every A&E department.
The rule gives patients and families a direct route to a rapid review by another clinical team when they are worried that someone’s condition is getting worse and feel they are not being heard. A&E, short for accident and emergency, is the NHS name for the emergency room.
It is named after Martha Mills, 13, who died from sepsis at King’s College Hospital in London in 2021.
Martha’s Rule is already in use on hospital wards, and NHS England is now taking it into emergency departments after a pilot across seven trusts. In that pilot, 69 calls were made, and some patients were sent for urgent surgery or transferred to intensive care.
The numbers using it are climbing. In July 2026, there were 1,678 Martha’s Rule calls across the NHS, the most in any month so far, ITV News reported.
“A&Es see some of our most vulnerable patients, so the ability to raise concerns about deterioration quickly and trigger a rapid review of care is essential,” said Professor Aidan Fowler, NHS England’s national director of patient safety.
He described the rule as having had a “transformative effect in making our acute care even safer.”
Health Minister Baroness Merron said the aim was to make sure people can “speak up when they are worried that someone’s condition is getting worse.”
Every A&E in England is due to have the system by March 2028.
