‘Martha’s rule’: ministers consider law to give right to second medical opinion

Martha Mills died aged 13 in 2021 after failures to identify and properly treat a case of sepsis that developed while she was in King’s College hospital in London. Photograph: Merope Mills

Ministers are considering introducing Martha’s rule in England to make it easier for patients and their families who believe their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff to get a second medical opinion.

Steve Barclay, the health secretary, said a similar measure enforced in Australia had been shown to have saved lives. He said officials had been tasked with looking into such initiatives could “improve patient safety here in the UK”.