Call for Concern

Critical Care Outreach
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay TQ2 7AA

Tel: 07990 785385

Information leaflet

For more details, please read our Call for Concern information leaflet.

What is Call for Concern and who is Martha’s Rule in memory of?

Call for Concern is a major patient safety initiative providing patients and families with a way to seek an urgent review if their or their loved one’s condition deteriorates, and they are concerned this is not being responded to.

This has been introduced in support of Martha’s Rule, which follows a campaign by the parents of 13-year-old Martha Mills who died from sepsis in 2021.

Martha Mills had been in hospital for an injury to her pancreas sustained while riding her bike. Her condition worsened and she later developed sepsis. However, many symptoms were missed by doctors and her parents’ concerns were ignored. She sadly died in hospital.

Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2023 a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.

As a result, to improve patient safety, a recommended system that can be triggered by patients, or by their family should be readily accessible in the event of concerns not been acknowledged by the team.

Call for Concern, what will happen in Torbay Hospital?

In Torbay Hospital (the acute trust) we have well established nurse led Critical Care Outreach service which is available 24/7. The Intensive Care Consultants provide regular sessions and support to the service/nursing staff. Our team is experienced in the recognition and management of sick patients.

Our team already responds to calls from nursing staff, doctors and physiotherapists in response to patient deterioration, especially if a higher level of support might be required. We also have other electronic systems in place to help us recognise early deterioration of ward patients.

Call for Concern service will now also be available to patients and families if they are worried about the patient’s condition, and they don’t feel their concerns raised to the nursing staff/doctors have been addressed.

Call Critical Care Outreach any time of the day or night on 07990 785385.

Please give your/the patient’s name, the ward you/they are on and a brief description of your concern.

If you need help urgently on the ward, please speak to the nurse or doctor in charge of your care for urgent assistance.

The Critical Care Outreach team does not routinely respond to the following general concerns, please discuss any of these issues with the ward team:

  • Basic nursing care issues
  • Parking
  • Concerns or complaints not related to deterioration. Please discuss with the ward teams and ward matrons first. Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is available for any unresolved concerns.