Martha's Rule to be extended to all maternity units

A policy that guarantees patients the right to an urgent rapid review of their care is to be rolled out to all maternity settings in England.

The move follows the publication of a review of maternity services in Nottingham, which found numerous opportunities were missed to prevent harm.

Under Martha's Rule, parents will be able to request a rapid review from an independent medical team if a baby or mother's condition is deteriorating and they are concerned this is not being responded to.

The policy has been rolled out to inpatients at every acute hospital in England and piloted in 15 maternity and neonatal settings, but will now be rolled out to maternity units nationwide.

The scheme was created after 13-year-old 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 have survived if medics had picked up on the warning signs of her condition and transferred her to intensive care earlier.

A review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, found leaders at the trust knew there were serious issues in its maternity department going back years but failed to take action to prevent more deaths.

Some of the key findings of the review were that women and families were consistently not listened to, leading to missed opportunities to prevent harm, and there were failures to recognise and escalate deterioration in the health of babies and mothers.

Health Secretary James Murray said the extension of Martha's Rule formed part of a push to strengthen safety for mothers and babies in response to Ockenden's report.

Other measures include ensuring NHS staff - past and present - who refuse to engage with upcoming maternity reviews are compelled to give evidence, or face up to two years in prison.

BBC reporter Joe McFadden said this would most likely involve using duty of candour laws set out in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill - also known as the Hillsborough Law Bill - which is currently going through Parliament.

It could potentially lead to senior leaders being compelled to give evidence at upcoming maternity reviews for Leeds and Sussex.

There will also be tougher checks and measures on mortuaries in an effort to make sure the remains of children are treated with dignity and respect.

Murray said: "Donna Ockenden's review lays bare a culture where too many voices went unheard, too many opportunities to prevent harm were missed and too many lives were lost. That's why we have to take action, and quickly.

"No family should ever have to battle the system that is meant to care and protect them - that is why Martha's Rule is so fundamental.

"It provides a way for a concerned mum or family member to raise the alarm before it is too late.

"I want families across the country to feel safe when they walk through the doors of their maternity settings."

The Department for Health and Social Care said there had already been more than 2,100 calls to Martha's Rule requiring changes in a patient's treatment, with more than 600 calls leading to potentially life-saving interventions to transfer them to enhanced levels of care.

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