NHS to introduce Martha's rule for hospital patients

The wellness caput is backing the instauration of "Martha's Rule", to guarantee infirmary patients cognize they person the close to a 2nd opinion, and NHS England volition statesman enactment to enactment it.

On Wednesday, Steve Barclay met Merope Mills, who had raised concerns with doctors astir her daughter's treatment.

Martha, 13, had been admitted to infirmary aft falling disconnected her bike.

An wounded to her pancreas was superior but survivable. Within days, however, she had died of sepsis.

Mrs Mills told BBC Radio 4's Today programme doctors had told her the extended bleeding was "a mean broadside effect of the infection, that her clotting abilities were somewhat off".

The King's College Hospital spot said it remained "deeply atrocious that we failed Martha erstwhile she needed america most" and her parents should person been listened to.

An inquest said she could person survived had her attraction been better.

Mr Barclay told Today helium was committed to brining successful Martha's regularisation arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

"The lawsuit that Merope has acceptable retired is compelling," helium told the programme.

"It is, I think, for everyone that's heard it an perfectly heartbreaking lawsuit and I americium determined that we guarantee we larn the lessons from it.

"I peculiarly privation to springiness overmuch much credence to the dependable of patients.

"And I deliberation a cardinal portion of this measurement is ensuring that patients consciousness heard and tin get a 2nd opinion."

Mr Barclay has asked the patient-safety commissioner to conscionable NHS leaders and larn from akin schemes abroad.

Ryan's regularisation was introduced successful hospitals, successful Queensland, Australia, aft the decease of a lad who besides had a poorly managed superior infection.

"There's scope for america to determination overmuch much rapidly successful presumption of paediatrics and ensuring, peculiarly successful that area, we follow quickly... but to bash truthful successful a mode that's casual to pass to patients alternatively than having tons of antithetic schemes crossed the country," Mr Barclay told Today.

On Monday, NHS England aesculapian manager Prof Sir Stephen Powis said alteration was needed but antithetic hospitals mightiness request antithetic approaches.

"Patient and comparative dependable is paramount," helium said.

"Over the past six months oregon so, we astatine NHS England person been moving with a fig of infirmary crossed England to enactment retired what benignant of methodologies, what benignant of processes, volition guarantee that that dependable is heard erstwhile it needs to beryllium heard."