Martha’s Rule extended to all maternity services

Mothers and newborns across the country will be better protected, as patient safety measure Martha’s Rule will be rolled out to all maternity settings in England. Donna Ockenden’s review – the largest into maternity and neonatal services in NHS history – considered the experiences of maternity care for 2,500 families and found women ignored or complaints dismissed, missed opportunities to identify deteriorating patents and a culture of silencing both junior staff and parents. The government will commit to rolling out Martha’s Rule across maternity and neonatal wards in England to ensure every parent can request a rapid review from an independent medical team if a baby or mother’s condition is deteriorating and they are concerned this is not being responded to.