Martha’s Rule
Are you concerned about a patient’s condition?
Martha’s Rule is a patient safety service for adult inpatients, families and friends to call for help and advice. Martha’s Rule if you or your family are concerned that there is a noticeable change or deterioration in condition.
This service is delivered by the Critical Care Outreach team 24 hours a day.
When can I call Martha’s Rule?
If you have spoken to the ward team or doctor, but feel the healthcare team are not recognising or responding to your concern, please call us.
To report problems with bed, food, room, parking or any other general issues, please talk to the ward team. These are not issues that the Martha’s Rule service can address.
Contact Martha’s Rule
At Colchester Hospital, ask the ward staff to bleep 247, or you can call directly on 01206 747 474 and ask for bleep 247.
At Ipswich Hospital, ask the ward staff to bleep 732, or you can call directly on 01473 712 233 and ask for bleep 732.
Give the Martha’s Rule nurse the patient’s name, ward, and a brief description of the problem. We aim to answer your call immediately, however on some occasions we may be dealing with an emergency which may delay our response. In this instance we advise that you speak to the ward team
or call us back.
After prioritising the urgency, the team will visit you on the ward to discuss your concerns and assess the situation. We will also liaise with your medical and nursing team.
I am worried about calling Martha’s Rule
Please do not feel concerned that using this system will negatively affect the patient’s care in any way. We recognise that no one knows you and your health needs better than you and your family.
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