Mother hopes Martha’s rule will ‘upend hierarchy’ on hospital wards

Martha’s rule gives patients and their families access to a rapid review from an independent critical care team. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

The mother of a 13-year-old girl who died of sepsis has said she hopes Martha’s rule, which gives patients and their families the right to a second medical opinion, will “upend” the “hierarchy” on hospital wards.

Merope Mills, who campaigned with her husband, Paul Laity, to give families more say regarding care following the death of their daughter Martha, also called for a “mutual respect” between patients and doctors.