Martha’s Rule: A life lost, saving lives - without making villains (25 February 2024)

Summary

In this blog, retired doctor Nadeem Moghal looks at the impact Martha's Rule will have on the NHS. He asks whether the new policy will prevent the medical profession looking at much wider issues relating to candour and professionalism, acting as a bypass mechanism for organisations to avoid dealing with deeper cultural problems. He also raises concerns that Martha's Rule will damage the trust between patients and their doctors and that there are not sufficient teams in place to provide the expert second opinions patients and families will request.