A service which offers patients, their families and carers 24-hour access to a rapid review if they have concerns about a person’s deteriorating condition is now available at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.
Call for Concern will give anyone worried about a loved one who is staying on a hospital ward direct contact to a dedicated team who will give urgent help and advice.
The service has been developed as part of the implementation of ‘Martha’s Rule’.
Martha Mills died in 2021 after developing sepsis in hospital in London, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike. Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2023 a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.
In response to this and other cases related to the management of deterioration, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England committed to implement ‘Martha’s Rule’ in the NHS nationally; to ensure the vitally important concerns of the patient and those who know the patient best are listened to and acted upon.
The Call for Concern service was originally launched at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, and is now being adapted for other acute and specialist hospitals.
Professor Ciro Rinaldi, Deputy Medical Director at United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The Call for Concern service builds on the existing safeguards already in place in our hospitals to offer a clear and direct way for patients, families, carers and other advocates to further escalate their concerns and access a rapid review of their care.”
Nerea Odongo, Group Chief Nurse for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “I’m very proud of what the teams have accomplished in setting up this service. In Lincolnshire, the Critical Care Outreach Team will be responsible for these reviews. They have extensive experience in caring for patients whose conditions may be worsening.
“This team, made up of specialist doctors and nurses, collaborates closely with other healthcare professionals to ensure that appropriate care plans are in place. A special thank you to everyone involved for their dedication and hard work in making this possible.”
The service can be accessed by using the dedicated Call for Concern telephone number for the relevant hospital site.
Those with concerns should use Call for Concern when there is a significant change in a patient’s condition and, after discussion with the ward team, they feel their concerns have not been addressed or it is still not clear what the plan is for the patient.
A member of the Critical Care Outreach Team may provide advice over the telephone in the first instance, or visit the ward to discuss and assess the situation.
Image credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
