Martha Mills died while under hospital care, but a coroner says she could have been saved
A new rule is to be rolled out to every acute hospital in England after the death of a 13-year-old girl. Martha’s rule will mean families and patients are able to quickly get a second opinion. Martha Mills developed sepsis while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London in 2021.
A coroner ruled she would most likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs of her rapidly deteriorating condition and transferred her to intensive care earlier. Martha’s parents, Merope Mills, an editor at the Guardian, and her husband Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha’s health a number of times but they were brushed aside.
The escalation process, which formalises access to a second opinion by experienced staff – mostly critical care outreach teams – is available 24/7 and advertised throughout hospitals. Under the move, an urgent clinical review is carried out by a different team in the hospital if a patient’s condition is worsening and they or their family feels they are not getting the care needed.
Staff can also ask for a review from a different team if they are concerned about a patient’s treatment. Between September 2024 and June 2025, some 4,906 calls were made to Martha’s rule helplines to escalate concerns about care, NHS England said.
Almost three-quarters (71.9%) of calls were from families seeking help, with 720 calls leading to changes in care, such as new medicines and antibiotics. Almost 800 (794) calls led to clinical concerns such as medication or investigation delays being addressed.
A further 1,030 calls led to changes with communication and discharge planning issues. All 210 acute inpatient sites in England now offer the service, NHS England said.
Ms Mills and Mr Laity said in a statement: “It would be Martha’s 18th birthday today, another milestone she has missed as a result of the poor care and hospital errors that led to her unnecessary death. We feel her absence every day, but at least Martha’s rule is already preventing many families from experiencing something similar.
“The figures prove that lives are saved when patients and families are given power to act on their suspicions when they feel doctors might have got it wrong and their voice isn’t being heard. We are pleased to know more hospitals are taking up Martha’s rule and look forward to a time when every patient in the UK knows about the initiative, and has easy access to it.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “No family should ever have to go through what Merope and Paul Mills endured when they lost Martha, but her parents’ tireless campaigning has created a lasting legacy that is already having a potentially lifesaving impact across England.
“Martha’s rule puts patients and families at the heart of their care. By rolling this out to every acute hospital in England, we’re delivering on our promise through our plan for change to rebuild trust in the NHS and put patient safety first. With hundreds of potentially life-saving interventions and changes in care triggered so far, Martha’s rule is about ensuring that patients and their families have their voices heard when it is needed most.
“This is exactly the kind of reform our health service needs – listening to patients, learning from tragedy and taking action to prevent it happening again. Martha’s memory will live on through every life this rule helps to save.”
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, said: “There is no shadow of a doubt that Martha’s rule is having a transformative impact on the way hospitals are able to work with patients and families to address deterioration or concerns about care.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Merope and Paul, who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue and continue to work with us to ensure Martha’s rule is at the centre of our efforts to boost patient safety and quality of care.
“I also want to thank clinical staff up and down the country who have swiftly implemented this potentially life-saving intervention and ensured its success.”
