Martha’s Rule – Call for Concern update

At Somerset FT we have been part of the pilot of Martha’s Rule – Call for Concern and began trialling a new process for you to let us know if you or your loved one become concerned about a patient becoming more unwell while in our hospitals.

We began testing Martha’s Rule on selected wards at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and Yeovil Hospital in January 2025. Through the pilot we listened to feedback from patients, their loved ones, carers and colleagues to develop a simple process and supporting materials. This initiative is now in place across all our inpatient wards at both our acute hospitals and work is continuing to embed the process.

Earlier this month, NHS England announced Martha’s Rule is being expanded to every acute hospital in England, and new data shows hundreds of patients have benefitted from potentially life-saving changes to their care thanks to the scheme.

Between September 2024 and June 2025, there were 4,906 calls made to Martha’s Rule helplines to escalate concerns about care – leading to 241 potentially life-saving interventions being triggered across the 143 pilot sites in England.

While the numbers of calls within our trust remain reassuringly low as most concerns are managed at ward level, the importance of Martha’s Rule – Call for Concern being part of our ways of working in our trust is clear.

The initiative was launched as a result of learnings from the death of Martha Mills in 2021. Martha, aged 13, developed sepsis following a pancreatic injury from 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.

Experience tells us that patients and those that matter to them can identify the early subtle signs of their condition getting worse or any deterioration, often before healthcare professionals. Call for Concern provides a clear channel for them to use to communicate their concerns with us.

There are three steps for concerned patients/loved ones/carers to take when enacting a Call for Concerns under Martha’s Rule:

Step 1

Speak to the ward team first. They are the first point of contact if you are worried or concerned about your relative’s current medical condition while in hospital. You may find the bullet points in our How to talk to us about you/your loved one’s condition a helpful guide.

Step 2

Has your concern been resolved? If not, ask to speak to the nurse in charge or doctors on the ward.

Step 3

If you are still worried you can make a Call for Concern by completing the form on the website and can be access via a QR code on the posters. Alternatively, you can call and leave a message Musgrove Park Hospital on 07350 434 229 or Yeovil Hospital on 07827 280 522 (each answerphone is checked regularly).

Martha’s Rule – Call for Concern is a direct link to our specialist team of outreach nurses specifically for patients who appear to be deteriorating between doctors’ rounds and should not be used instead of the Patient Advice and Liaison Service for any other concerns that cannot be resolved by the ward team.

Further details about Martha's Rule - Call for Concern at Somerset FT can be found on our trust website.