URGENT: Martha's rule rolled out to all acute hospitals in England

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE Martha's rule expanded across England after hundreds of lives saved7 minutes agoShareSaveSmitha Mundasad and Judith BurnsBBC NewsShareSaveMerope MillsMartha Mills died aged 13 after developing sepsis.Martha's rule, a way for families to seek an urgent second opinion if they are concerned about the care their loved ones receive, will be rolled out across all English hospitals delivering acute or short-term treatment. The telephone helpline, the result of a campaign by the parents of 13-year-old Martha Mills who died after serious failings in her care, has been piloted in 143 hospital sites in England since April 2024.Figures from NHS England show that since then there have been almost 5,000 calls, resulting in 241 potentially life-saving interventions. KEY DETAILS: • Martha's mother, Merope Mills, welcomed the expansion on what would have been her daughter's 18th birthday but wants UK-wide access. • She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the new figures proved the need for the rule and "a different, more equal kind of doctor-patient relationship".Martha Mills, died at King's College Hospital in London after developing sepsis. • Her family's concerns were not listened to. This is a developing story. More details will be provided as they become available. *Source: Bbc*