Martha's Rule is to be extended to every A&E in England after 13-year-old's sepsis death was ignored

From the Newshound archive · first published 22 September 2026 · last updated 23 September 2026.

Martha Mills died of sepsis at King's College Hospital in 2021, aged 13, after staff repeatedly dismissed her parents' concerns about her worsening condition. A coroner found she would in all likelihood have survived with a timely move to intensive care. Her parents Merope Mills and Paul Laity campaigned to establish Martha's Rule, which now gives patients, families and staff round-the-clock access to a dedicated phone line through which they can demand an urgent second opinion.

More than 19,000 calls were made under the scheme between September 2024 and July 2026, with a record 1,678 in July alone.

During an eight-month pilot across seven NHS trusts, 69 calls were made — some leading to emergency surgery or intensive care admission.

The full rollout across all A&E departments in England is due to finish by March 2028.