Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has expressed Labour's support for introducing 'Martha's rule' in England, a measure that would allow patients and their families to request a second medical opinion if they feel their concerns are being dismissed. The proposal follows the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died in 2021 after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London. An inquest found that she would most likely have survived if doctors had acted sooner.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Streeting said he was moved to tears by the story of Martha's mother, Merope Mills, a senior editor at the Guardian. He stressed that even someone as articulate as Mills struggled to get the NHS to listen, highlighting the need for change. 'Something has got to change. Martha's rule, it's something that's got to happen, it's something a Labour government will deliver,' he said.
Health secretary Steve Barclay has indicated that the government is considering the introduction of Martha's rule. Streeting said Labour would support the government if it proceeds, but if not, a future Labour government would implement it. He added that the right to a second opinion should be enshrined in the NHS constitution and prominently displayed across NHS facilities.
Martha's parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, are campaigning for the rule to ensure that patients, families, and care workers can easily request a review by a senior doctor if a patient's condition deteriorates or if there are serious concerns. King's College Hospital has apologised for the mistakes in Martha's care and has implemented several improvements, including mandatory sepsis training for paediatric staff and formal documentation of parental concerns.
