EAST Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is piloting a scheme to allow patients and families to seek an urgent review if they believe their loved one’s condition has deteriorated or think their concerns are not properly addressed.
The Trust is trialling Martha’s Rule in Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital. They have named their local version of the scheme as “Call 4 Concern”.
Martha’s Rule is named after Martha Mills, who died from sepsis in 2021 at the age of 13 at King’s College Hospital in London, due to a failure of clinicians to escalate her to intensive care after her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to.
Following persistent campaigning by Martha’s parents, Merope and Paul, and advocacy group Demos, it generated widespread support for a system that enables patients or families to launch an urgent review from an independent team in the hospital if the patient’s condition is worsening or it is believed they are not receiving the care they need.
Earlier this year, NHS England rolled out the Martha’s Rule initiative in at least 100 NHS sites, providing patients and families 24/7 access to the service.
Martha’s Rule is made up of three components to ensure concerns about deterioration will be swiftly responded to.
Firstly, an escalation process will be available 24/7 at both of the main Eastbourne sites, advertised throughout the hospitals on posters and leaflets, thus enabling patients and families to contact a critical care outreach team that can swiftly assess a case and escalate care if necessary.
Secondly, NHS staff will also have access to this same process if they have concerns about a patient’s condition.
Finally, clinicians will also formally record daily insights and information about a patient’s health directly from their families, ensuring any concerning changes in behaviour or condition noticed by the people who know the patient best, are considered by Eastbourne hospital staff.
East Sussex Healthcare NHS has recently completed a trial of Call 4 Concern on Cookson ward and Devas ward at Conquest Hospital, with positive feedback received from patients, families and staff on the scheme.
Joe Chadwick-Bell, chief executive at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Martha’s Rule provides an important development as it supports families and friends in raising concerns when a patient’s condition deteriorates and they can seek a second opinion should they want one.
“Our Call 4 Concern project not only supports those who use our services, but also enables our staff to engage with greater access to clinical specialists who can advise on the needs of patients whose condition declines.”
Call 4 Concern will be expanding across Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne District General Hospital over the coming months.
