Martha’s rule will allow patients and families to seek an urgent review if their condition, or the condition of a loved one, is deteriorating and they feel their concerns are not being listened to.
They will be able to call an internal phone number and request a second opinion from a critical care outreach team.
Clinicians will also record daily insights and information about a patient’s health directly from their families.
“We hope it will do an immense amount of good by improving communication and encouraging doctors just to be more open and to listen to patients more carefully,” Ms Mills said.
“We also want patients to be able to challenge this culture of deference that we have, this sense that [the] doctor always knows best, because I personally have come to believe that a more equal relationship is a safer relationship,” she said.
Ms Mills added that she was not always confident her campaign for Martha’s rule would be successful. “The medical world is incredibly change-averse,” she said.
