Martha’s Rule
Martha’s rule is a service available to all people admitted to an Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) ward and their loved ones to use if they feel their physical health is getting worse and have tried to raise their concerns to the doctors and nurses on the ward but don’t feel listened to.
Nobody knows your healthcare needs or those of your loved ones, better than you and your family and because of this we recognise that you may sometimes see that something is wrong before our healthcare team does.
This service is available to all patients across Tickhill Road, Swallownest Court and Great Oaks sites and for all of our rehabilitation and mental health wards.
Please note this service is currently only available to people admitted to one of our hospital wards.
When to use Martha’s rule
- If you or your loved one becomes more unwell over a short space of time.
- If you or your loved one have tried raising concerns about feeling more unwell and don’t feel you have been listened to by the ward team.
Patients in hospital will also be asked daily about their physical health. If you are feeling unwell this too can trigger a response from the doctors and nurses, so please answer honestly.
Please be reassured, using this service will not have a negative effect on the care you or your family member will receive.
When to not to use the Martha’s rule
This service should not be used to report issues or concerns regarding:
- hospital bed
- hospital rooms
- food
- parking
- visiting times
- hospital cleanliness
- general issues
In those situations, please speak to the ward team.
If you want to make a complaint about concerns you have about care or services at the trust, that don’t involve a patient becoming more unwell today, our Patient Safety, Carer and Community team is your point of contact for confidential advice and support.
The team can help you by:
- giving you confidential advice and support
- raising a patient advice and liaison service (PALS) enquiry
- supporting you to make a formal complaint
- working with the relevant service on your behalf
You can contact the team weekdays, 8:30am to 4:30pm.
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Phone
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Email
How to raise a concern under Martha’s rule
You can raise a concern weekdays, 9am to 5pm. Outside of these hours make contact with the Patient Flow team.
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Phone
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Out of hours
Say “I want to raise a concern under Martha’s Rule”. Please don’t worry if you can’t remember this exact phrase, the person answering your call will be able to help you.
You will need:
- your name or the patient’s name
- the ward they are on
- a brief description of the problem
- your contact details and where applicable relationship to the patient
What happens next?
After prioritising the urgency of the problem, a senior member of clinical staff will contact you to discuss your concerns and evaluate the situation.
They will also liaise with your medical and nursing team as needed to establish the next steps. This will involve input from the ward you are familiar with or input from a separate team to help reassess you or your loved ones’ care.
Please ask if you would like help in understanding this information. This information can be made available in large print, accessible information and in other languages.
Page last reviewed: August 14, 2026
Next review due: August 14, 2027
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