The 3 components of Martha’s Rule are as follows:
- Patients will be asked, at least daily, about how they are feeling, and if they are getting better or worse, and this information will be acted on in a structured way.
- All staff will be able, at any time, to ask for a review from a different team if they are concerned that a patient is deteriorating, and they are not being responded to.
- This escalation route will also always be available to patients themselves, their families and carers and advertised across the hospital.
Martha’s Rule will help improve both the quality and safety of care for patients whose condition is worsening. Better identification and management of deterioration is one of NHS England’s key priorities in improving patient safety.
The initiative will empower patients, families, carers and staff to ensure that their concerns are listened to and acted upon. It will also empower staff to have the ability to raise concerns outside of official escalation channels, and to ask for additional support if it’s required.