Royal Free Hospital among first to roll out Martha’s Rule
Over the coming year, the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) will implement Martha's Rule, a new patient safety initiative launched by NHS England.
Royal Free Hospital (RFH) will be among the first hospitals to implement Martha's Rule. The new scheme will provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates, and that they are concerned this is not being responded to by staff.
How will Martha’s Rule improve patient safety?
There are three proposed components of Martha’s Rule:
- An escalation process will enable patients and families to contact the patient at risk and resuscitation team (PARRT) who will assess patients and escalate care if necessary
- Staff will also have access to this same process if they have concerns about a patient’s condition – this is already in place at Royal Free Hospital.
- Clinicians will formally record daily insights about a patient’s health directly from their family members, ensuring that any concerning changes in behaviour or condition, as noticed by those who know the patient best, are taken into account by the medical staff.
