Martha’s Rule to be rolled out Trust-wide following successful pilot

A national patient safety initiative that gives patients and families the right to request a rapid review if they are worried a patient’s condition is getting worse is being expanded across Sherwood Forest Hospitals.

Following the success of a pilot programme at King’s Mill Hospital, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has yesterday (Monday 27 April 2026) extended Martha’s Rule to include both Mansfield Community and Newark hospitals.

Martha’s Rule gives patients, their families, and carers a clear and direct way to seek an independent clinical review if they are concerned that a patient’s condition is deteriorating. It also empowers hospital staff to call for a rapid review if they feel their concerns about a patient are not being responded to.

The initiative is designed to ensure that concerns are heard, acted upon promptly, and that patients and their loved ones feel confident in raising issues.

The pilot, conducted initially across in-patient wards at King’s Mill before being extended to include patients in the Emergency Department who are being admitted, proved very successful and demonstrated strong engagement from both staff and patients.

Feedback highlighted improved confidence among families to escalate their concerns, faster clinical responses in situations of uncertainty, and resulted also in strengthened collaboration between healthcare teams and those they care for.

Following this success, the Trust has implemented Martha’s Rule across all three of its hospital sites. This expansion reflects a continued commitment to delivering safe, responsive, and patient-centred care.

Shantell Miles, Deputy Chief Nurse at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said:

“Expanding Martha’s Rule across our Trust is an important step forward in ensuring every patient and family feels listened to and supported. 

“The pilot has shown the real difference this approach can make, and we are proud to embed it more widely into our everyday practice.”

As part of the rollout, staff will be supported with the implementation, and clear information on how to access the service will be made available to patients and families at all three Trust sites.

The Trust will continue to monitor the impact of Martha’s Rule as it is introduced more broadly, ensuring that learning from patients, families, and staff continues to shape and strengthen the approach.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals, patients, families and carers should tell staff if they are worried a health condition is getting worse. If, after speaking to the care team, they remain worried and feel their concerns are not being addressed, Martha’s Rule means that they can call Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ Clinical Care Outreach Team (CCOT) on 07385115574 to have the patient's condition and care plan reviewed.