Families and patients at Johnson Community Hospital in Spalding can now use Call for Concern, also known as Martha’s Rule, if they believe a patient’s condition is deteriorating unexpectedly and their concerns have not been addressed.
The service has expanded to Grantham and District Hospital, meaning it is now available in all of Lincolnshire’s NHS hospitals. It gives patients, relatives and carers a way to request an urgent review by clinical staff with specialist knowledge of managing deterioration.
How the Spalding service works
Call for Concern should be used after concerns have first been discussed with the ward team. It is intended for situations where the patient’s condition has worsened unexpectedly, the concern still has not been addressed or it remains unclear what the plan is for their care.
People using the service for Johnson Community Hospital and other community hospitals in Lincolnshire can call 0300 123 4868 and select option 5. The number also covers John Coupland Hospital, Gainsborough; County Hospital Louth; Skegness and District Hospital; and Johnson Community Hospital, Spalding.
The service is separate from the free and confidential Patient Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, which remains available for general questions and advice about hospital services. PALS can be contacted by email at [email protected], or by telephone on 01522 707071 or 01205 446243.
Why Martha’s Rule was introduced
Martha’s Rule was developed after the death of Martha Mills, who died in 2021 after developing sepsis in a London hospital. She had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling from her bike.
Her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to. A coroner ruled in 2023 that Martha would probably have survived if she had been moved to intensive care earlier.
Following Martha’s case and other concerns about how deterioration was managed, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England committed to introducing Martha’s Rule across the NHS. The aim is to ensure that important concerns raised by patients and those who know them best are heard and acted on.
Nerea Odongo, Group Chief Nurse for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said loved ones may be among the first to notice small changes in a patient’s health. She said telling ward staff about those changes could help detect deterioration early and prevent more serious problems.
Clinical teams will continue to check patients’ vital signs and other important health measurements, while speaking with them about how they feel. Call for Concern adds another safeguard by providing access to an additional specialist clinical review when concerns remain unresolved.