This year’s BACCN Conference in Blackpool brought together critical care professionals from across the UK and beyond—nurses, consultants, researchers, and innovators—all united by a shared commitment to improving patient outcomes. The Mela Solutions team had the privilege of engaging with delegates on one of the most pressing topics in healthcare today: Martha’s Rule and the future of patient safety.
Martha’s Rule: A Catalyst for Change in Critical Care
Following the recent NHS England guidance, Martha’s Rule has become a focal point for hospitals aiming to strengthen escalation pathways and empower patients and families. Our conversations at BACCN highlighted the growing need for transparent, auditable, and accessible reporting tools that support this initiative.
We shared insights from our recent blog, “Reporting Martha’s Rule: Why It Matters”, which explores how digital systems like Medicus Outreach can help hospitals meet the new standards while reducing the burden on clinical teams.
Why Robust Clinical Reporting Platforms Are Essential
To implement Martha’s Rule effectively, hospitals need timely visibility into patient deterioration trends, escalation requests, and outcomes. Relying on manual reporting or fragmented systems can lead to:
- Delayed responses to critical alerts
- Data silos that hinder quality improvement
- Missed opportunities for predictive analytics and proactive care.
Modern clinical reporting platforms address these challenges by:
- Automating data capture from EPR, PAS, and lab systems
- Providing dashboards and KPIs for informed decision-making
- Supporting compliance with national patient safety standards
- Enabling predictive insights to identify at-risk patients early.
For more on why digital tools matter, see NHS Patient Safety Strategy.
Medicus Outreach: Smarter Reporting to Support Patient Safety
Mela Solutions developed Medicus Outreach to help Critical Care Outreach and Rapid Response Teams manage complex workflows and improve visibility across patient pathways. This is particularly important for initiatives like Martha’s Rule, where timely escalation and accurate reporting are essential.
Key Capabilities:
- Manage referrals, ICU step-downs, NEWS triggers, sepsis, and AKI in one system
- Align with national data standards, including Martha’s Rule
- Generate local and national audits quickly and accurately
- Accessible across your hospital network, with workflows for adult and paediatric care.
What We Learned from Delegates
From bedside nurses to ICU consultants, the feedback was clear: teams need tools that are intuitive, compliant, and built for the realities of critical care. Many shared challenges around fragmented data, manual reporting, and the pressure to meet evolving safety standards.
Our Outreach Analytics platform has been instrumental here, with many outreach teams now using the team activity dashboards to clearly demonstrate the scale and impact of their work across all wards. This visibility has helped services evidence their essential role, to build stronger cases for ongoing investment and workforce planning.
Medicus Outreach stood out as a solution that not only meets these needs but also empowers teams to act faster and more confidently - whether responding to deterioration, tracking escalation pathways, or contributing to national audits.
Exciting Giveaways
To make the experience even more engaging, we offered an exclusive free giveaway for delegates visiting our booth, aiming to thank attendees for their time and interest in smarter, safer care solutions. If you missed out, don’t worry, stay connected for future events and opportunities!
Looking Ahead
As Martha’s Rule continues to shape the landscape of patient safety, we’re committed to supporting NHS trusts with tools that make a difference. BACCN 2025 was a powerful reminder of the passion and dedication within the critical care community and we’re proud to be part of the journey.
Learn more about Medicus Outreach or contact us to book a free demo.
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