England to extend Martha’s rule to all hospital emergency departments
Martha’s rule, which allows patients, relatives and health workers to request a review of care, is being expanded to every A&E department in England. Health officials say the system has potentially saved hundreds of lives, while the available report says it will also enable a different medical team to assess inpatient care.
Martha’s rule is being expanded to every accident and emergency department in England, health officials have announced, according to The Guardian. The system allows patients, their relatives and health workers to request a second opinion or review of the care being provided. Under the arrangement, a different medical team can examine the treatment and recommend changes where necessary.
The rule also applies to care on inpatient wards. Patients, loved ones and staff can ask for another team to assess a patient’s condition and the care being delivered, according to the report. Health officials said the system had already potentially saved hundreds of lives.
The available material does not give a precise number of cases, identify the hospitals involved or explain how the lives were assessed as potentially saved. The expansion will make the system available in every A&E department in England. The report does not provide a timetable for implementation, details of the process for requesting a review or information about staffing and resources needed to operate it.
Martha’s rule is named in the report as a patient-safety measure intended to give patients, relatives and health workers a route to challenge or reassess care when they have concerns.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.