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This conference brings together leading experts at the forefront of Martha’s Rule implementation and offers a comprehensive and practical guide for clinical staff to seamlessly integrate Martha’s Rule into their daily practice. The conference delves into the caregiver’s perspective, principles and implications of Martha’s Rule, legal and patient safety considerations, effective communication strategies, and the use of technology in the adoption of Martha’s Rule.
The conference will also discuss the new approach to managing acute physical deterioration through the prevention, identification, escalation, response – PIER approach which is currently being implemented
Throughout the day, there will be interactive sessions, small breakout groups, and collaborative exercises, fostering a dynamic learning experience.
“The introduction of Martha’s Rule represents one of the most important changes to patient care in recent years, and we are really encouraged to see the impact it is already having for patients in this first phase. This early data highlights just how essential the Martha’s Rule escalation process will be for patients, families and staff, to help ensure those experiencing acute deterioration can be identified and treated at the earliest possible opportunity…With 1 in 5 clinical reviews triggered by Martha’s Rule so far leading to potentially life-saving changes in care, this early insight suggests the initiative is starting to have a transformative effect in improving patient safety further”
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director 17th December 2024
“The roll-out of Martha’s Rule in NHS hospitals in England has already begun triggering “potentially life-saving changes in care” for patients”
NHS England 17th December 2024
“The early data suggests that Martha’s Rule isn’t being triggered inappropriately or overused. Were it to be implemented nationally, it would greatly improve care, help change the culture and save lives”
Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents 17th December 2024
“Martha Mills died from sepsis aged 13 after sustaining a pancreatic injury from a bike accident. The inquest into her death heard that she would likely have survived had consultants made a decision to move her to intensive care sooner. Her mother, Merope, has spoken about the failures in Martha’s care, and how she trusted the clinicians against her own instincts – they didn’t listen to her concerns and instead “managed” her… Martha’s Rule would mean that in the event of a suspected deterioration or serious concern on the part of a patient on a hospital ward, or their family or carer, they would have the right easily to call for a rapid review or second opinion from an ICU/HDU doctor within the same hospital.”
Patient Safety Learning
“Once fully implemented, patients, families, carers and staff will have round-the-clock access to a rapid review from a separate care team if they are worried about a person’s condition. The 3 proposed components of Martha’s Rule are: 1. All staff in NHS trusts must have 24/7 access to a rapid review from a critical care outreach team, who they can contact should they have concerns about a patient. 2. All patients, their families, carers, and advocates must also have access to the same 24/7 rapid review from a critical care outreach team, which they can contact via mechanisms advertised around the hospital, and more widely if they are worried about the patient’s condition. 3. The NHS must implement a structured approach to obtain information relating to a patient’s condition directly from patients and their families at least daily. In the first instance, this will cover all inpatients in acute and specialist trusts.”
NHS England March 2024
““To ensure that Martha’s Rule is effective, it will be implemented alongside an integrated programme to improve the management of deterioration using ‘PIER’ resources, which helps systems to prevent, identify, escalate and respond to physical deterioration. The new PIER approach views deterioration as a whole pathway which is supported by systems rather than only advocating a single strategy for identification. The new PIER approach will enable the effective management of acute physical deterioration in health and care and will apply to all conditions, clinical settings and specialities.”
NHS England 2024
“We are pleased that the implementation of Martha’s Rule will begin in April. We want it to be in place as quickly and as widely as possible, to prevent what happened to our daughter from happening to other patients in hospital. We believe Martha’s Rule will save lives. In cases of deterioration, families and carers by the bedside can be aware of changes busy clinicians can’t; their knowledge should be recognised as a resource. We also look to Martha’s Rule to alter medical culture: to give patients a little more power, to encourage listening on the part of medical professionals, and to normalise the idea that even the grandest of doctors should welcome being challenged. We call on all NHS clinicians to back the initiative: we know that the large majority do listen, are open with patients and never complacent – but Martha’s doctors worked in a different culture, so some situations need to change. Our daughter was quite something: fun and determined, with a vast appetite for life and so many plans and ambitions – we’ll never know what she would have achieved with all her talents. Hers was a preventable death, but Martha’s Rule will mean that she didn’t die completely in vain.”
Martha’s Parents 21st February 2024 NHS England
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve patient safety within the NHS
Empowering loved ones: reflect on the lived experience of a carer
Learn about the conceptual foundations and legal implications of Martha’s Rule in the NHS
Update delegates on the new National Managing acute physical deterioration through the ‘prevention, identification, escalation, response’ (PIER) approach
Understand the legal framework and ethical considerations surrounding Martha’s Rule to ensure compliance
Develop effective communication skills to articulate Martha’s Rule to patients and relatives of patients
Learn how to foster a collaborative decision-making process between patients and clinicians
Implement best practices for creating a culture within their organisation to embrace Martha’s Rule
Gain insights into optimising EHR and other technologies to facilitate the second opinion process
Apply interactive case studies to enhance practical understanding and application of Martha’s Rule
This conference supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
