Merope Mills, a journalist and healthcare campaigner, has been awarded a CBE in the king's birthday honours list for her services to patient safety. Mills, a senior editor at the Guardian, was instrumental in introducing Martha's rule in England, an initiative that has potentially saved hundreds of lives.
Campaign for Patient Safety
Mills campaigned for years to establish Martha's rule, which allows patients, relatives, and staff to seek a second opinion if they have concerns about care. She said: "This is recognition for a campaign fought not just by me but also my husband, Paul, with the help of many excellent doctors and nurses who helped make Martha's rule a reality. They knew it was time we saw a shift in the power dynamic in hospitals, and a real chance to give patients and their families more of a voice at the time they need it most."
Martha's Story
The rule is named after Mills' 13-year-old daughter Martha, who died in 2021 due to failures to identify and treat sepsis at King's College Hospital in London. In 2022, a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived if doctors had identified warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier. Martha initially suffered a pancreatic laceration from a cycling accident and was transferred to the hospital as a national centre for pancreatic trauma. Her condition was not considered life-threatening, but she developed sepsis. Her parents' concerns were dismissed as her condition worsened, despite nursing staff privately acknowledging her risk of death.
Impact of Martha's Rule
Mills and Martha's father, Paul Laity, advocated for a system where people can call a hospital-run helpline for a rapid review. Mills noted: "There is still so much that can be done to make our healthcare safer. The number of preventable deaths like Martha's remains shockingly high. Apart from the devastation it causes families like ours, it costs the NHS billions in compensation and treating complications that result from mistakes. NHS statistics suggest Martha's rule may have saved more than 500 lives since 2024. Occasionally, I hear from people who used it and saw significant changes in treatment or other life-saving interventions after making a Martha's rule call."
Government Recognition
Former health secretary Wes Streeting stated last month that over 500 people received potentially life-saving care thanks to Martha's rule, being moved to intensive care or specialist units after triggering the patient safety mechanism, which began in 2024. Streeting said: "Martha's parents have fought tirelessly to turn the most unimaginable grief into something that is genuinely changing how our NHS works. Merope and Paul pushed for a practical change that puts patients and families at the heart of care – and it's one that is already having a life-saving impact. That takes extraordinary courage, and the NHS owes them an enormous debt of gratitude. The NHS is changing its culture and putting patient safety at its heart. Change isn't always easy, but Martha's rule is proof that it can be done."
