30 March 2026
Wellness Rounds which have seen deteriorating patient numbers fall in pilot schemes across Walsall Manor and New Cross Hospitals as part of the Martha’s Rule initiative, are being rolled out fully from today (Monday 30 March).
Wellness Rounds see patients asked, at least daily, how they are feeling, and if they are getting better or worse, with the information acted on in a structured way and speedily.
Teams across The Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trusts will be continuing to implement this element of the patient safety initiative fully across all adult inpatient areas at New Cross and The Manor Hospitals.
The Wellness Rounds prompt a range of questions to check patients’ health and wellbeing – ranging from how they feel compared to the day before, to any appetite changes, physical deterioration such as a cough or breathlessness, and any mood changes or anxiety.
NHS England and Black Country ICB colleagues visited Walsall Manor Hospital last year to see Wellness Rounds in action, along with Health Innovation West Midlands, as they were encouraged at the positive impact they were making within the Martha’s Rule initiative in Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Martha Mills died in 2021 after developing sepsis in hospital, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike.
Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2023 a coroner ruled the 13 year old would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care at King’s College Hospital, London, earlier.
In response to this and other cases related to the management of clinical deterioration, the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England committed to implement Martha’s Rule across the NHS.
Martha’s Rule Call for Concern means parents and carers of patients, or the patient themselves, will be able to get an independent review if they feel any concerns they may have about their loved ones’ deteriorating condition are not being listened to.
Amy Blakemore, Matron with Walsall Healthcare’s Sepsis and Outreach response Team (SORT), said: “We were pleased to welcome NHSE colleagues and let them see the work we’ve been doing to embed Martha’s Rule in our organisations.
“Now, we’re ready to embed Wellness Rounds too – these daily conversations with patients, in conjunction with the soft signs checks we do, are such an important part of our work to ensure deterioration is detected early and acted upon swiftly.”.
Dr Saibal Ganguly, Consultant at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “We are proud of our collaborative efforts to roll out Wellness Rounds after effective pilots and will continue to raise awareness among our patients and families as well as our colleagues as this is such an important patient safety initiative.”
Martha’s Rule is now available in every acute hospital in England.