East Surrey Hospital rolls out new major patient safety initiative ‘Call for Concern’ as part of ‘Martha’s Rule’

East Surrey Hospital, part of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, has rolled out a new major patient safety initiative as part of Martha’s Rule.

Call for Concern is a patient safety service enabling inpatients at East Surrey Hospital and/or their families to call for urgent help and advice when they feel concerned that their own or a loved one’s health condition is worsening and would like to request a “fresh set of eyes”.

They can ring a direct number or ask the operator to put them through to the Call for Concern team who will review the patient, liaise with the clinical team, and take any appropriate action before following up with the patient or loved one to explain the course of action taken and ensure concerns have been adequately addressed.

Staff at East Surrey Hospital already have 24/7 access to the Critical Care Outreach Team to escalate concerns about a patient’s condition. Call for Concern as part of Martha’s Rule will now give this access to patients and families for the first time – enabling them to escalate care concerns if necessary.           

The hospital is one of 143 hospitals nationally that will test and roll out Martha’s Rule in its first year. The service is currently available to all adults who are admitted onto in-patient wards, and will be rolled out to all patients at the Trust’s East Surrey site next year.

Dr Kofi Nimako, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for the project, said: “We know that friends and family can often see a patient’s deterioration before anyone else does. They will know what signs to look out for and can often spot when something is out of the ordinary.

“It is a positive step in patient safety, enabling patients, or their next of kin, to call for urgent help and advice if they have serious concerns that a patient’s health condition is worsening. Our Critical Care Outreach will act as the ‘fresh set of eyes’, working with ward teams to escalate appropriately and support patients and their family.”

As part of the initiative, clinicians will also formally record daily insights and information about a patient’s health directly from them, or their families, ensuring any concerning changes in behaviour or condition noticed by the people who know the patient best are considered by staff caring for them.