Latest news with #MarthaMills
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctor who failed to spot girl, 13, was suffering from sepsis and died days later will face no disciplinary sanction
A senior doctor who failed to spot that a 13-year-old girl was suffering from sepsis before she died will face no disciplinary sanctions for failings in his care. Professor Richard Thompson did not refer Martha Mills to intensive care at King's College Hospital in London despite her displaying several high-risk indicators of the life-threatening condition. The on-call consultant also chose not to return to the hospital to assess her in person as her condition deteriorated. A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel sitting in Manchester had ruled those omissions were misconduct, which they described as 'particularly grave', and found his fitness to practise was impaired. But today the tribunal decided there were 'exceptional circumstances' which justified taking no further action against the world-renowned paediatric liver specialist. Martha had been an inpatient on the hospital's Rays of Sunshine Ward after she suffered a serious injury to her pancreas when she slipped while riding a bike on a family holiday in Wales in July 2021. Weeks later she experienced a fever and increased heart rate, followed by more spikes in her temperature before the consultant hepatologist saw Martha on his morning ward round on Sunday August 29. Prof Thompson left the hospital at 3pm, but was phoned at home two hours later by a trainee doctor, who gave an update on Martha's condition. Medical records showed she had deteriorated over the course of the afternoon, and into the early evening, with a drop in her blood pressure, the appearance of a new rash and increases in heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature. Tribunal chairman Robin Ince noted that by 5pm there were 'several high-risk indicators' as set out in the Nice guidelines relating to sepsis. The duty registrar called Prof Thompson again at 8.30pm because of ongoing concerns over Martha's fever, but she was kept on the ward despite the continued presence of moderate to high-risk indicators and the absence of meaningful clinical improvement. Martha collapsed on August 30 and was moved to intensive care before she was transferred to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she died in the early hours of August 31. Announcing its conclusions on Wednesday, Mr Ince said: 'Professor Thompson has done everything possible to address his failings. 'The tribunal considered that the best way to repair any harm caused by his failings would be for him to continue to provide his specialist expertise at home and abroad. 'To now - some four years after the index event - remove Professor Thompson from practice, even for a short period of time, for one single lapse of judgment in an otherwise exemplary career would, in the tribunal's view, be akin to punishment which is not the role of the MPTS.' Among the 'exceptional circumstances' cited were that there was no allegation or evidence that Prof Thompson either caused or contributed to Martha's death. There were also systemic failings regarding how the ward functioned at the time with regard to referrals to the paediatric intensive care unit, said the tribunal. Mr Ince said: 'A sufficiently clear message has already been sent to the profession and to the public - that even such an experienced doctor as Professor Thompson could still make serious errors of clinical judgment for which he will be called to account. 'The public would be aware that this finding would remain a stain on Professor Thompson's reputation for the rest of his life.' At a 2022 inquest into her death, a coroner ruled that Martha would most likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier. Martha's mother, Merope Mills, said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha's deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted on. The couple later successfully campaigned for Martha's Rule to give patients, families and carers the chance to easily request a second opinion from a senior doctor in the same hospital in the event of a suspected deterioration or serious concern. Giving evidence, Prof Thompson told the MPTS hearing that he no longer provided in-patient care because he began to 'doubt my own judgment' after the tragic events. He said he felt 'deep remorse' for Martha's death but did not believe he made any errors in her case, as he denied all the allegations brought by the General Medical Council (GMC). The tribunal heard he had since completed a training course relating to the management of sepsis and a deteriorating child in paediatric care. His barrister, Ben Rich, said Prof Thompson has been a dedicated doctor and specialist for nearly 40 years and had never previously been investigated by a regulator. He said he had a reputation as a 'hard-working and outstanding clinician and researcher, who has an international reputation as one of the leading paediatric liver specialists in the world'. Mr Rich urged the tribunal members to impose an order of conditions involving supervision on Prof Thompson's registration, but the panel disagreed and said such a measure would be 'unnecessary and artificial', as they opted to take no further action. Christopher Rose, for the GMC, said that Prof Thompson should be suspended to send a message to the wider public and the wider profession, given the seriousness of the failings found. The tribunal had cleared Prof Thompson of the GMC's claims that he gave 'outdated, misleading' information on Martha's condition to a consultant colleague in the intensive care unit, and that he failed to mention her rash. In ruling his fitness to practise was impaired, Mr Ince said: 'There had been a significant potential risk of harm to Martha and it was appropriate to send a message to the profession as to the importance of following the basic and fundamental principles as set out in good medical practice so as to ensure that the potential risks of an adverse outcome are always taken into account.'
Telegraph
11-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Doctor whose misconduct led to Martha's Rule avoids sanctions
A senior doctor will face no disciplinary penalty for misconduct in the care of a teenager who died days later from sepsis. Prof Richard Thompson did not refer Martha Mills, 13, to intensive care, despite her displaying several high-risk indicators of sepsis. The on-call consultant also chose not to return to London's King's College Hospital to assess her in person as her condition deteriorated. A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel sitting in Manchester ruled those omissions were misconduct, which they described as 'particularly grave', and found his fitness to practise was impaired. However, on Wednesday the tribunal decided there were 'exceptional circumstances' which justified taking no further action against the world-renowned paediatric liver specialist. Martha exhibited 'high-risk indicators' Martha had been an inpatient on the hospital's Rays of Sunshine Ward after she suffered a serious injury to her pancreas when she slipped while riding a bike on a family holiday in Wales in July 2021. Weeks later, she experienced a fever and increased heart rate, followed by more spikes in her temperature before the consultant hepatologist saw Martha on his morning ward round on August 29. Prof Thompson left the hospital at 3pm, but was phoned at home two hours later by a trainee doctor, who gave an update on Martha's condition. Medical records showed she had deteriorated over the course of the afternoon, and into the early evening, with a drop in her blood pressure, the appearance of a new rash and increases in heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature. Tribunal chairman Robin Ince noted that by 5pm there were 'several high-risk indicators' as set out in the Nice guidelines relating to sepsis. The duty registrar called Prof Thompson again at 8.30pm because of ongoing concerns over Martha's fever, but she was kept on the ward despite the continued presence of moderate to high-risk indicators and the absence of meaningful clinical improvement. Martha collapsed on August 30 and was moved to intensive care before she was transferred to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she died in the early hours of August 31. Announcing the tribunal's conclusions on Wednesday, Mr Ince said: 'Professor Thompson has done everything possible to address his failings. 'The tribunal considered that the best way to repair any harm caused by his failings would be for him to continue to provide his specialist expertise at home and abroad. 'To now – some four years after the index event – remove Professor Thompson from practice, even for a short period of time, for one single lapse of judgment in an otherwise exemplary career would, in the tribunal's view, be akin to punishment which is not the role of the MPTS.' Among the 'exceptional circumstances' cited were that there was no allegation or evidence that Prof Thompson either caused or contributed to Martha's death. There were also systemic failings regarding how the ward functioned at the time with regard to referrals to the paediatric intensive care unit, said the tribunal. 'Serious errors of clinical judgment' Mr Ince said: 'A sufficiently clear message has already been sent to the profession and to the public – that even such an experienced doctor as Professor Thompson could still make serious errors of clinical judgment for which he will be called to account. 'The public would be aware that this finding would remain a stain on Professor Thompson's reputation for the rest of his life.' At a 2022 inquest into her death, a coroner ruled that Martha would most likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier. Martha's mother, Merope Mills, an editor at The Guardian, said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha's deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted on. The couple later successfully campaigned for Martha's Rule to give patients, families and carers the chance to easily request a second opinion from a senior doctor in the same hospital in the event of a suspected deterioration or serious concern. Doctor began to 'doubt judgment' Giving evidence, Prof Thompson told the MPTS hearing that he no longer provided in-patient care because he began to 'doubt [his] own judgment' after the tragic events. He said he felt 'deep remorse' for Martha's death but did not believe he made any errors in her case, as he denied all the allegations brought by the General Medical Council (GMC). The tribunal heard he had since completed a training course relating to the management of sepsis and a deteriorating child in paediatric care. His barrister, Ben Rich, said Prof Thompson has been a dedicated doctor and specialist for nearly 40 years and had never previously been investigated by a regulator. He said he had a reputation as a 'hard-working and outstanding clinician and researcher' and was considered 'one of the leading paediatric liver specialists in the world'. Mr Rich urged the tribunal members to impose an order of conditions involving supervision on Prof Thompson's registration, but the panel disagreed and said such a measure would be 'unnecessary and artificial', as they opted to take no further action. Christopher Rose, for the GMC, said that Prof Thompson should be suspended to send a message to the wider public and the wider profession, given the seriousness of the failings found. The tribunal had cleared Prof Thompson of the GMC's claims that he gave 'outdated, misleading' information on Martha's condition to a consultant colleague in the intensive care unit, and that he failed to mention her rash. In ruling his fitness to practise was impaired, Mr Ince said: 'There had been a significant potential risk of harm to Martha and it was appropriate to send a message to the profession as to the importance of following the basic and fundamental principles as set out in good medical practice so as to ensure that the potential risks of an adverse outcome are always taken into account.'
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
No disciplinary sanction for doctor's ‘grave' failures in care of Martha Mills
A senior doctor will face no disciplinary penalty for failings in his care of a teenager who died days later from sepsis. Professor Richard Thompson did not refer Martha Mills, 13, to intensive care despite her displaying several high-risk indicators of sepsis. The on-call consultant also chose not to return to London's King's College Hospital to assess her in person as her condition deteriorated. A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel sitting in Manchester had ruled those omissions were misconduct, which they described as 'particularly grave', and found his fitness to practise was impaired. However, on Wednesday the tribunal decided there were 'exceptional circumstances' which justified taking no further action against the world-renowned paediatric liver specialist. Martha had been an inpatient on the hospital's Rays of Sunshine Ward after she suffered a serious injury to her pancreas when she slipped while riding a bike on a family holiday in Wales in July 2021. Weeks later she experienced a fever and increased heart rate, followed by more spikes in her temperature before the consultant hepatologist saw Martha on his morning ward round on Sunday August 29. Prof Thompson left the hospital at 3pm, but was phoned at home two hours later by a trainee doctor, who gave an update on Martha's condition. Medical records showed she had deteriorated over the course of the afternoon, and into the early evening, with a drop in her blood pressure, the appearance of a new rash and increases in heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature. Tribunal chairman Robin Ince noted that by 5pm there were 'several high-risk indicators' as set out in the Nice guidelines relating to sepsis. The duty registrar called Prof Thompson again at 8.30pm because of ongoing concerns over Martha's fever, but she was kept on the ward despite the continued presence of moderate to high-risk indicators and the absence of meaningful clinical improvement. Martha collapsed on August 30 and was moved to intensive care before she was transferred to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she died in the early hours of August 31. Announcing its conclusions on Wednesday, Mr Ince said: 'Professor Thompson has done everything possible to address his failings. 'The tribunal considered that the best way to repair any harm caused by his failings would be for him to continue to provide his specialist expertise at home and abroad. 'To now – some four years after the index event – remove Professor Thompson from practice, even for a short period of time, for one single lapse of judgment in an otherwise exemplary career would, in the tribunal's view, be akin to punishment which is not the role of the MPTS.' Among the 'exceptional circumstances' cited were that there was no allegation or evidence that Prof Thompson either caused or contributed to Martha's death. There were also systemic failings regarding how the ward functioned at the time with regard to referrals to the paediatric intensive care unit, said the tribunal. Mr Ince said: 'A sufficiently clear message has already been sent to the profession and to the public – that even such an experienced doctor as Professor Thompson could still make serious errors of clinical judgment for which he will be called to account. 'The public would be aware that this finding would remain a stain on Professor Thompson's reputation for the rest of his life.' At a 2022 inquest into her death, a coroner ruled that Martha would most likely have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier. Martha's mother, Merope Mills, an editor at The Guardian, said she and her husband, Paul Laity, raised concerns about Martha's deteriorating health a number of times but these were not acted on. The couple later successfully campaigned for Martha's Rule to give patients, families and carers the chance to easily request a second opinion from a senior doctor in the same hospital in the event of a suspected deterioration or serious concern. Giving evidence, Prof Thompson told the MPTS hearing that he no longer provided in-patient care because he began to 'doubt my own judgment' after the tragic events. He said he felt 'deep remorse' for Martha's death but did not believe he made any errors in her case, as he denied all the allegations brought by the General Medical Council (GMC). The tribunal heard he had since completed a training course relating to the management of sepsis and a deteriorating child in paediatric care. His barrister, Ben Rich, said Prof Thompson has been a dedicated doctor and specialist for nearly 40 years and had never previously been investigated by a regulator. He said he had a reputation as a 'hard-working and outstanding clinician and researcher, who has an international reputation as one of the leading paediatric liver specialists in the world'. Mr Rich urged the tribunal members to impose an order of conditions involving supervision on Prof Thompson's registration, but the panel disagreed and said such a measure would be 'unnecessary and artificial', as they opted to take no further action. Christopher Rose, for the GMC, said that Prof Thompson should be suspended to send a message to the wider public and the wider profession, given the seriousness of the failings found. The tribunal had cleared Prof Thompson of the GMC's claims that he gave 'outdated, misleading' information on Martha's condition to a consultant colleague in the intensive care unit, and that he failed to mention her rash. In ruling his fitness to practise was impaired, Mr Ince said: 'There had been a significant potential risk of harm to Martha and it was appropriate to send a message to the profession as to the importance of following the basic and fundamental principles as set out in good medical practice so as to ensure that the potential risks of an adverse outcome are always taken into account.'
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
No sanction for doctor found guilty of misconduct in Martha's rule case
A senior doctor who was found guilty of 'misconduct which impairs his fitness to practise' in his treatment of 13-year-old Martha Mills will face no sanction due to 'exceptional circumstances'. The disciplinary tribunal said on Wednesday that it would take no further action with respect to Prof Richard Thompson because it was a 'single lapse of judgment in an otherwise exemplary career'. It said there were no outstanding public protection issues and it was not the tribunal's role to punish him. Thompson was the on-duty consultant at King's College hospital (KCH), in south London, on 29 August 2021, two days before Martha's death from sepsis, which led last year to the introduction of Martha's rule, giving the right to a second medical opinion in English hospitals. The tribunal previously found that Thompson, who left the hospital at 3pm, failed to escalate Martha's treatment to an intensive care unit or to conduct a direct in-person review and assessment, including of a rash. The duty registrar had called Thompson at home when Martha developed the rash. In 2022, a coroner ruled she would probably have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs of her rapidly deteriorating condition and transferred her to intensive care earlier, which her parents had asked doctors to do. Robin Ince, the chair of the panel at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), in Manchester, said among the 'exceptional circumstances' dictating that no further action was necessary was that 'there was no allegation or evidence that Prof Thompson either caused or contributed to Martha's death.' He said that the misconduct and impairment finding was of itself a 'significant stigma' and would be 'a continuing embarrassment' for Thompson. 'A sufficiently clear message had already been sent to the profession and to the public (that even such an experienced doctor as Prof Thompson could still make serious errors of clinical judgment for which he will be called to account),' said Ince. 'The public would be aware that this finding would remain a stain on Prof Thompson's reputation for the rest of his life.' Christopher Rose, representing the General Medical Council (GMC), had argued that Thompson should be suspended for an appropriate period, as taking no action would be inconsistent with the tribunal's impairment finding. He also claimed it was necessary to maintain standards and public confidence in the profession. But Ince said the lack of sanction did not detract from the message that the tribunal's determination on impairment sent. He said that any suspension 'would result in the loss of Prof Thompson's invaluable expertise as a hepatologist, both nationally and internationally … which would not be in the public interest … 'The tribunal was of the view that this decision to take no action did not jeopardise public protection, particularly given its comments as to the [lack of] risk of repetition.' After the impairment finding, Martha's parents, Merope Mills, a senior editor at the Guardian, and her husband, Paul Laity, said it was 'important to us that allegations denied have been found proved and the gravity of mistakes that led to our daughter's preventable death has been recognised'. Martha sustained an injury to her pancreas when she fell off her bike on holiday in Wales. She was transferred to intensive care at KCH on 30 August 2021 by which time she had septic shock, according to a serious incident report produced for the hospital. In March, the Commons health and social care committee heard that Martha's rule had been invoked more than 2,000 times, which had led to more than 300 patients having an improvement in their care and more than 100 patients being escalated to intensive care or equivalent.
Telegraph
09-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Doctor guilty of misconduct over girl's death that led to Martha's Rule
A doctor has been found guilty of misconduct for his failings in the treatment of a girl whose death led to Martha's Rule. Prof Richard Thompson failed to escalate the treatment of Martha Mills, 13, before she died from sepsis in 2021, a disciplinary panel found on Monday. The teenager's death prompted the introduction of Martha's Rule, which gives patients and families the right to a second medical opinion if their own or a loved one's condition deteriorates in hospital. Martha died from sepsis after doctors missed its symptoms and did not heed warnings from her parents that her condition was rapidly deteriorating. A medical tribunal in Manchester has now ruled that Thompson committed 'misconduct which impairs his fitness to practise' during her treatment. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel found that the doctor, who was the on-duty consultant at King's College hospital (KCH) in London, had made 'particularly grave' failings. It ruled that Thompson should have referred Martha to intensive care on Aug 29 2021 and that he had failed to conduct an in-person assessment of her condition. The doctor was on-call at home for part of the day. Robin Ince, the chairman of the panel, said there was 'no sound reason' why Thompson did not assess Martha's condition himself. 'The tribunal was of the view that, as more serious and unexplained factors had come into play, there were clear points (at 17.00 and 20.30) when Prof Thompson should have taken action not only to see Martha himself but also to refer Martha to PICU (paediatric intensive care unit) and these combined failures to do so makes them more serious,' he said. 'The tribunal appreciated that it was assisted by hindsight but concluded that there were sufficient adverse clinical indicators at the time of something unexplained going on such that direct review and escalation to PICU was required.' Martha was only transferred to intensive care on August 30, by which point she had septic shock. She died from sepsis on August 31 at Great Ormond Street hospital (GOSH), where she had been transferred. A coroner ruled in 2022 that she would have likely survived if doctors at KCH had identified the warning signs of the condition and transferred her to intensive care sooner. The trust has since apologised for mistakes in Martha's care. Martha was in hospital with a pancreatic injury after a fall from her bike while on a family holiday in Wales. King's is a specialist national referral centre for children with pancreatic problems. 'Gravity of mistakes' In a statement, Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha's parents, welcomed the recognition of the 'gravity of mistakes' made before her death. 'It is important to us that allegations denied have been found proved and the gravity of mistakes that led to our daughter's preventable death has been recognised,' they said. 'We will always have in our minds the failures of culture, training and policy on Rays of Sunshine ward at King's College Hospital, as well as the responsibility of individuals. We'd like to thank all of the thoughtful doctors who have helped us to understand what happened to Martha.' Thompson's sanction will be determined at a separate hearing on Tuesday. Mr Ince said the panel believed he had been 'remediated' and that it was 'highly unlikely that anything like this will ever happen again and there is no current impairment of Prof Thompson's fitness to practise on this basis '. But he added: 'The tribunal concluded that the misconduct was such that a finding of impairment was required to uphold public confidence in the profession as well as uphold proper professional standards, and that it would be undermined if no finding of impairment were found.'
