Martha’s Rule

Inpatients or their relatives and carers can call the Martha’s Rule dedicated phone line for immediate help and advice if:

• They are worried the inpatient’s condition is getting worse.
• A noticeable change occurs, and you feel that the healthcare team is not recognising your concerns.
• You have ongoing concerns after speaking with the ward nurse and/or doctor but feel you may have not been understood.

Telephone: 020 3655 5969

We recognise that sometimes the patient or a close loved one can see that something is wrong before the health care team does. No one knows your health care needs or those of your loved one, better than you and your family.

If you do not have access to a working phone, please ask a staff member to use one of the ward phones.

Martha’s Rule is a is a patient safety service. To report problems regarding your hospital bed, room, food, parking, or any other general issues, please speak to your nurse, ward manager or PALS.

When the Clinical Site Practitioner Team (CSP team) receive your call, they shall ask you a series of questions to best understand your concern, including:

1. Patient’s first name and surname.
2. Patient’s date of birth.
3. Current ward name where patient is admitted.

All telephone calls to this number will be assessed and, where appropriate, a nurse from the CSP team will visit the patient on the ward to ensure they are receiving the suitable treatment and support.

The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and applies to all paediatric inpatients.

Sometimes, the CSP team will be unable to take your call immediately, please keep trying, and they shall answer as soon as possible.

The CSP team are a team of nurses, who work alongside our critical care and medical doctors, specialising in the care of very unwell patients, and patients recovering from critical illness.

The CSP team may already be involved with a patient’s care, however, it will still be helpful to hear your concerns raised through the Martha’s Rule helpline.

The CSP team are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A second opinion involves getting the views of an independent specialist clinical team or healthcare professional about your child’s treatment.

Martha’s Rule gives our inpatients, families, carers, and staff access to an urgent review if their concerns about the worsening condition of a patient is not being heard.

Martha’s Rule is a patient safety initiative, it is NOT a second opinion.

Find out more about seeking a second opinion at GOSH

The Martha’s Rule dedicated phone line is for inpatients at GOSH only.

If you are an outpatient or a non-GOSH patient and have clinical concerns, please speak with your clinical team, your GP or seek help from the nearest Accident and Emergency.

Martha Mills died in 2021 after developing sepsis whilst being treated at our King’s College Hospital site, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike.

During her stay, 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, campaigning from Martha’s parents, and other cases related to the management of deterioration, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England agreed to implement ‘Martha’s Rule’, which is designed to ensure the vitally important concerns of patients, and those who know the patient best, are listened to and acted upon.

Find more information about Martha's Rule on the NHS website.