The reviews will be carried out by specialist medics within the same hospital. Observations made by the family about the patient’s condition or behaviour will also be formally recorded.
The new system comes after a campaign by the parents of Martha Mills who sadly passed away from sepsis at 13 because her symptoms were missed.
This is following Martha’s parents having expressed concerns about Martha’s condition and requested that she be transferred to intensive care. Their concerns were dismissed which ultimately led to Martha’s untimely death.
Backed by the Government
Now backed by the Government, funding has been allocated in order to allow hospitals to put the necessary resources in place.
Eligible hospitals must apply for the funding, and it is anticipated that at least 100 hospitals nationwide will be looking to implement the scheme.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told the BBC: “this is something I believe very strongly in, and indeed the whole of government does, and so we will be rolling this out across England and supporting hospitals to make sure that this service is as we’d all expect it to be.”
Whilst a welcome development, the British Medical Association (BMA) have highlighted that monitoring of the system is paramount. The current strain on the NHS and resulting workforce crisis will need to see improvement if the initiative is to deliver the service it intends.
Potential to save lives
It is clear that access to urgent second opinions could be an incredible tool that allows patients and their families to voice concerns and has the potential to save lives where diagnoses or symptoms may otherwise have been missed.
Martha’s mum says “Sometimes, doctors are incredibly overstretched and they cannot always spot the same changes in a patient that family and patients themselves can.”
Martha’s parents hope that the initiative will mean that Martha’s death will not have been in vain.
Giving patients a voice
It is clear from details of the initiative that it centres on giving patients and their families a voice and allowing patients to seek further opinion if they feel their treatment or diagnosis is not correct.
Too often patients feel they are not heard. This is very often the case in cases of clinical negligence.
Claire Cooper, Senior Associate and Clinical Negligence specialist at Rothera Bray says “Martha’s case was truly heartbreaking. Not only will Martha’s Rule will give patients and their families a further opportunity to advocate for themselves when accessing medical care, but a second opinion can prevent mistakes from happening, developing and irreparable harm being caused.”
More detailed information on the scheme can be found on the NHS website here: Martha’s Rule.
If you have concerns about the treatment that you or a loved one has received, please contact our expert clinical negligence team on 03456 465 465 or email enquiries@rotherabray.co.uk
Support available:
At Rothera Bray we are passionate about directing those affected by clinical negligence to additional and focused support. This can help you live with your injury, support you with your emotional and mental health and/or come to terms with the death of a loved one.
Some of the organisations relevant to this story are listed below:
Action against Medical Accidents:
Sepsis:
Disclaimer: This blog is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need legal advice please contact us on 03456 465 465 or email enquiries@rotherabray.co.uk to get tailored advice specific to your circumstances from our qualified lawyers.
