Martha's Rule to Roll Out to All Maternity Units in England

England will extend Martha's Rule to all maternity settings, giving families the right to request an urgent review by an independent medical team when a mother or baby shows signs of deterioration, The BBC reported. The policy follows publication of a review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

That review found leaders had known about serious problems for years yet failed to prevent additional deaths.

Women and families were consistently not listened to, and staff missed opportunities to recognize and escalate deterioration. Martha's Rule was created after 13-year-old Martha Mills developed sepsis at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London in 2021. A coroner ruled she would have survived if medics had identified warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier.

The rule has already been introduced for inpatients at every acute hospital in England and piloted in 15 maternity and neonatal units. It will now apply nationwide. Health Secretary James Murray said the Nottingham review showed a culture in which too many voices went unheard and too many opportunities to prevent harm were missed.

He added that no family should have to battle the system meant to protect them and that Martha's Rule gives concerned parents a direct way to raise the alarm. The Department for Health and Social Care stated there have already been more than 2,100 calls under the rule that prompted changes in treatment, including more than 600 transfers to enhanced levels of care.