A Safety Service for Patients on Adult Inpatient and Maternity
University Hospitals of North Midlands strives to provide a safe and high-quality care to all patients, particularly to those who are at a high risk of deterioration.
Call for Concern is a pilot safety service which enables patients, relatives and loved ones to call the Critical Care Outreach Team for urgent help and advice, when they are concerned that an adult inpatient’s condition is deteriorating and is not being adequately recognised by the ward team.
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 that Martha, aged 13, would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.
In response to this and other cases related to the management of deterioration, the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England committed to implement ‘Martha’s Rule’ – a patient safety initiative as part of a wider NHS strategy to ensure the vitally important concerns of the patient and those who know the patient best are listened to and acted upon.
Please do not feel worried that using the Call for Concern service will negatively impact a patient’s care in anyway. We recognise that patients their family can see when something is wrong and know their needs better than anyone else.
UHNM’s Critical Care Outreach Team is made up of experienced Critical Care Outreach Practitioners who support the ward teams with deteriorating patients. They will review a patient and will be able to provide further support to nurses and doctors about how to manage the patient’s condition.
The team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support ward teams in the care of the acutely ill patients.
• If you have already discussed your concerns with the ward team
• There is a significant change in the patient’s condition and this has not been addressed by the ward team, despite raising concerns
Please discuss your concerns with the ward team prior to calling. If we are unable to answer the phone immediately, please leave a message with: -
• your name and telephone number
• the name of the patient you are concerned about
• the ward they are currently receiving care from
• we may not be able to answer your call immediately, but you can leave a message with the above details and a contact number. We will aim to call you back as soon as possible.
Please be aware that we cannot guarantee a specific call back time as the practitioner may be reviewing clinically unwell patients.
What we need to know when you call
One of the Critical Care Outreach Team will prioritise your call based on the information provided and get in touch as soon as possible. They will provide advice over the phone and may visit the ward to further discuss your concerns and assess the situation.
The practitioner will gain consent from the patient prior to liaising with the ward team and will update you or your relative.
Call for Concern is a patient safety service for deteriorating patients that are on adult wards at Royal Stoke University Hospital only.
For concerns regarding other patients within UHNM, including County Hospital, Stafford please speak to the ward team in the first instance or ask for the contact details for the Matron for the area. Alternatively contact our Patient Advice and Liaison service. You can either email the team at Patientadvice.uhnm@nhs.net or telephone 01782 676450.
If you have not first raised your concerns with the ward team. This needs to be done before using the Call for Concern service.
To report any issues in relation to the patient's hospital stay including food, parking or any other general concerns with the care provided, please speak with the ward nurse or ward sister. You can also request to have the contact details of the Matron for the area to discuss further, if needed.
Call for Concern:
This is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling:
