The Guardian reports that Martha's Rule is being extended to every accident and emergency department in England. The scheme lets patients, their families and staff ask for a second medical opinion when they believe a patient's condition is deteriorating and their concerns are not being heard.
The expansion follows the death of a teenager at a hospital in south London, according to the London Evening Standard. The BBC and Sky News also reported the rollout to A&E departments across England, while ITVX said the rule would now apply at all hospital A&Es in the country.
Martha's Rule is named after Martha Mills, the teenager whose death prompted the push for the change. The reporting indicates the scheme was already in use in some settings before this extension, and the latest step widens it to emergency departments nationwide.
The outlets covering the story — The Guardian, the BBC, ITVX, the London Evening Standard and Sky News — all frame the move as a national rollout rather than a pilot. The reports do not give a start date for the expansion, nor do they set out how the scheme will be funded or monitored in each department.
What to watch next: whether NHS England publishes guidance on how the rule will operate in A&E, including how second opinions are requested and how requests are logged.
