More than 1,500 NHS staff have invoked Martha’s Rule within its first 18 months, flagging concerns about patients on their wards, according to newly released figures. Crucially, over 1,000 of these interventions successfully identified individuals experiencing rapid deterioration. The data emerges as a new report highlights a significant awareness gap, revealing that only around one in three people are familiar with the formal escalation process. Martha’s Rule was established in the wake of the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills. Her parents, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, assert that the number of staff calls provides "clear evidence" that "hierarchy, poor communication and some doctors’ resistance to being challenged affect hospital care every day". Martha succumbed to sepsis while under the care of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London in 2021.…