A service which offers patients, their families, friends and carers 24-hour access to an independent review if they have concerns about a person’s deteriorating condition is now available at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals.
The service has been developed as part of the implementation of Martha’s Rule, and the hospitals, which are run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), are two of the first 143 hospitals in England to roll out the new initiative.
The rule was introduced following the death of Martha Mills in 2021. The 13-year-old died after developing sepsis in hospital in London, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike. 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.
The new patient safety initiative, launched at MTW on 11 March, ensures inpatients and/or their relatives or friends can call the hospitals dedicated new phone lines if they are worried an inpatient’s condition is getting worse.
Before contacting the phone lines about someone’s clinical condition, patients and families are first encouraged to talk to the staff on the ward.
When a call is made at any time of the day or night, all reports will then be assessed and then if needed, a specialist nurse practitioner from the Trust’s Critical Care Outreach team (CCOT) will visit the patient on the ward to carry out further observations.
As part of Martha’s Rule, all inpatients will also be asked wellness questions every day on the ward on top of the routine observations, which will then be reported on the hospitals clinical systems.
Dr Sara Mumford, Chief Medical Officer for MTW, said: “This new service builds on the existing safeguards we already have in place in our hospitals and offer a clear and direct way for patients, family and friends to further escalate their concerns.
“We are proud to support Martha’s Rule in our hospitals and give relatives and friends a voice in their care and empower them to work closely with our clinical teams and feel assured they will be listened to.”
MTW’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) supports patients, carers and relatives who wish to raise concerns or share compliments. PALS works closely with those who contact them, to ensure concerns are responded to as soon as possible. Find out more information about PALS.