Call for Concern, also known as Martha’s Rule, enables someone to request an urgent review if they are worried that a patient’s condition is deteriorating unexpectedly while they are in hospital and they feel concerns are not being addressed.
The launch of the service in Grantham means Call for Concern is now available in all of Lincolnshire’s NHS hospitals.
Nerea Odongo, Group Chief Nurse for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “We know that a person’s loved ones know them best and may be among the first to recognise even the smallest changes in their health. Telling ward staff about any of these changes can help to detect any deterioration early, so action can be taken to prevent more serious health problems.
“Our clinical teams will be regularly checking a patient’s vital signs and other important health measurements while they are staying with us, and we will talk to them about how they are feeling.
“The Call for Concern service is here to build on these safeguards already in place in our hospitals by offering access to additional review by clinical teams with specialist knowledge in managing deterioration.”
Martha Mills died in 2021 after developing sepsis in hospital in London, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike. Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2023 a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.
In response to this and other cases related to the management of deterioration, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England committed to implement ‘Martha’s Rule’ in the NHS nationally; to ensure the vitally important concerns of the patient and those who know the patient best are listened to and acted upon.
The Call for Concern service in Lincolnshire should be used when there is unexpected deterioration in a patient’s condition and, after discussion with the ward team, you feel your concerns have not been addressed or it is still not clear what the plan is for the patient.
The service can be accessed by using the dedicated telephone number for the relevant hospital site:
- Community hospitals (John Coupland Hospital, Gainsborough, County Hospital Louth, Skegness and District Hospital, Johnson Community Hospital, Spalding): 0300 123 4868 – (option 5)
- Grantham and District Hospital: 07393 009033
- Lincoln County Hospital: 07393 009049
- Pilgrim Hospital, Boston: 07761 053863
The free and confidential Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) also remains available for those needing help with general questions and advice about hospital services.
PALS can be contacted via email to [email protected] or by telephone to 01522 707071 or 01205 446243.