The recent expansion of the Call 4 Concern (C4C) initiative (also known as Martha’s Rule) by Medway NHS Foundation Trust to include the Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit and children’s wards represents a vital stride forward. This wider NHS adoption of the system across inpatient settings is a powerful lesson and a resounding victory for Patient Safety that Irish healthcare would benefit from.
At its core, C4C/Martha's Rule is a simple, yet revolutionary way to empower patients, their families and carers to demand an urgent review of care if they perceive a patient's condition is worsening and their anxieties are being disregarded by clinical staff.
The decision to extend C4C to vulnerable groups, such as neonates and children, is especially significant. These are the patients least capable of communicating their distress, making the proactive role of parents and guardians absolutely indispensable.
The widespread implementation of this Rule across the NHS, driven by the Martha Mills tragedy, powerfully demonstrates a healthcare system's capacity to learn from its gravest errors and enact systemic, tangible change.
In light of recent inquests and ongoing issues with medical misadventure in Ireland, we firmly assert that the time for debate is over. The urgent and immediate introduction of Patient Safety initiatives, like Martha’s Rule, is essential to prevent future avoidable deaths linked to missed clinical deterioration. Irish patients deserve the same level of transparency, empowered advocacy and reassurance that this critical initiative in the UK provides.