Now you can ask for a second opinion at A&E: 'Life-saving' Martha's Rule extended to all emergency rooms

Published: 19:01 EDT, 21 September 2026 | Updated: 19:32 EDT, 21 September 2026 British patients who are unhappy with their care in A&E will now be granted an urgent second opinion, according to new rules. NHS chiefs have announced that Martha's Rule – which gives patients access to alternative senior doctors – has been extended to UK emergency rooms.Previously, it was only in place on hospital wards and available to inpatients. The rule was first introduced in 2024, following the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who died in hospital after medics failed to escalate her care. Martha developed sepsis while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London in 2021. A coroner subsequently ruled she would have survived if medics had transferred her to intensive care earlier.Her parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, have said their concerns about her deteriorating condition were repeatedly dismissed.The new rule means patients, families and staff will be able to call a dedicated phone number to trigger an urgent review if a patient’s condition is deteriorating and they think their concerns are not being listened to. Martha Mills, pictured, who would have been 19 today, died after developing sepsis while under the care of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south LondonThis applies to those being treated by A&E doctors, and those in the waiting room who haven't yet received care. The rollout of the initiative in NHS hospitals will be completed by March 2028, health chiefs pledge.An eight-month pilot across seven NHS trusts has already tested whether Martha’s Rule could work safely in A&E.During the trial period 69 calls were made to Martha’s Rule phone numbers, with some patients going on to have urgent surgery or being transferred to intensive care, NHS England said.Professor Aidan Fowler, national director of patient safety at NHS England, said: 'A&Es see some of our most vulnerable patients, so the ability to raise concerns about deterioration quickly and trigger a rapid review of care is essential.'He added that Martha's Rule will act as a 'critical new lifeline' to help improve care and save more lives in the UK's A&E departments.It follows the introduction of the rule in Britain's maternity services last summer, amid several reviews highlighting serious and sustained failures in units across the country. A 2024 Daily Mail investigation revealed the NHS Trusts with the highest percentage of patients waiting at least four hours for treatment in A&E. Under health service guidelines, 76 per cent of casualty patients should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hoursDonna 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 patients and a culture of silencing both junior staff and parents.As per Martha's Rule, every parent can now 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.Latest figures for July 2026 show the highest-ever monthly total of calls made via Martha’s Rule was 1,678.In January, a report found the UK could be trailing countries such as Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Spain and Italy when it comes to patient safety.A chart of the safest places to receive care from 38 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ranked the UK in 21st place, but this was based on 2021 data.The global state of patient safety 2025 study, from Imperial College London, included key aspects of patient safety, one of which was deaths from treatable causes, such as from sepsis and blood clots like venous thromboembolism.