Patient safety mechanism which gives patients the right to seek a second opinion having ‘lifesaving impact’, says health secretary
‘I am invoking Martha’s rule’: how a woman saved her father from near death in hospital
More than 500 people have received potentially life-saving care thanks to Martha’s rule, which gives hospital patients the right to seek a second opinion about their health.
They were moved to intensive care or a specialist unit after they, a loved one or a member of NHS staff triggered the patient safety mechanism, which the NHS in England began using in 2024.
Martha’s rule lets patients, relatives and staff call a helpline run by the hospital if they are worried about the person’s condition or treatment and ask for a “rapid review” of their care.
