Overview

• The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester is hearing allegations that Prof Richard Thompson provided misleading information and delayed Martha Mills’ transfer to intensive care in August 2021.
• The General Medical Council claims Thompson described Martha’s condition as 'stable' during a critical phone call, gave inaccurate clinical data, and omitted key symptoms like a rash.
• Martha’s parents had raised concerns about her deteriorating condition, but these were reportedly not acted upon before she died of sepsis on August 31, 2021.
• A 2022 coroner’s inquest concluded that Martha would likely have survived with earlier escalation to intensive care, prompting the creation of Martha’s Rule to empower families to request second opinions.
• Since its rollout in NHS hospitals in 2024, Martha’s Rule has led to over 2,000 care escalations and more than 100 patients receiving intensive care reviews, significantly improving patient outcomes.