A similar “early warning” system to identify acutely ill adults, including those with sepsis, is already in use in emergency and general NHS hospital wards.
More than 90 hospitals across England have been using the alert system in children’s wards, with different age-appropriate assessments available for babies through to teenagers.
The NHS has already said it will expand Martha’s Rule to all hospital emergency departments in England. The rule gives patients, families and carers the right to request a rapid review if they are worried that a patient’s condition is getting worse and their concerns are not being responded to.
The initiative is named after Martha Mills, who died aged 13 in 2021 after developing blood poisoning, or sepsis, in hospital following a bike accident.
A coroner ruled that her family’s concerns about her worsening condition were not listened to and she would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.
Martha’s parents Merope and Paul came up with the idea of the rule in a bid to change the culture that contributed to her death.
A&E units will have a dedicated phone number that can be called to trigger an urgent review of a patient’s care.
Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England, said the new early warning system for children in emergency departments was an “important next step in improving care for children and young people across England for this winter – and beyond”.
He added: “In fast-paced emergency departments, staff need to spot quickly when a child’s condition is deteriorating.
“This standardised approach will help them recognise the warning signs, communicate concerns, and make timely decisions when every moment matters.”
The early warning system for children, PEWS, is a collaboration between NHS England and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Nursing.
