When a thirteen-year-old girl died from sepsis in a London hospital in 2021 — her family's warnings unheeded — her parents chose not only to grieve but to change the system that failed her. Martha's Rule, born from that loss, now extends to every accident and emergency department in England, offering patients, families, and staff a dedicated line to demand a second clinical opinion when concern goes unheard. It is a quiet but profound acknowledgment that those closest to a patient often carry knowledge the institution has not yet learned to receive.
NHS expands Martha's Rule to all A&E departments to empower patient safety concerns
Martha Mills, aged 13, died from sepsis in 2021 after her family's safety concerns were not heeded by hospital staff.