Families in Wales given clearer way to raise concerns when a mother or baby’s health is getting worse in maternity and neonatal wards

• New scheme gives a direct route to raise concerns about a mother or baby's worsening health.
• It is being introduced in hospitals across Wales.
• Builds on existing checks already used by staff to spot when a patient's condition is getting worse.

A new way for urgent concerns to be raised about a mother or baby's health is being rolled out in hospitals across Wales. 

Call for Concern gives women, parents and families a clear route to ask for urgent help if they're worried that someone's health is getting worse.

Families are often the first to notice when something isn't right, whether that's a mother becoming increasingly unwell or a baby behaving differently. Call for Concern makes sure those concerns are heard and acted on quickly.

The scheme has two parts: recording how a patient is feeling, and a clear route for patients and families to ask for further clinical review.

Call for Concern adds to checks already used by hospital staff to spot the signs that a patient's health is deteriorating, including the all-Wales Maternity Early Warning Score and the Neonatal Early Warning Trigger and Track tools. The scheme is similar to Martha's Rule in England and Ryan's Rule in Australia.

It is being introduced across adult, paediatric, maternity and neonatal wards in hospitals across Wales.

Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health Delyth Jewell said:

"Families often know when something isn't right, whether that's with a mother or their baby. When they raise concerns, those concerns need to be heard and acted on.

"We want every mother, baby and family in Wales to receive care that is safe and responsive to their needs. Call for Concern gives them a clearer way to speak up and gives staff another way to act early."

Notes to editors

• Call for Concern is being introduced across adult, paediatric, maternity and neonatal wards in hospitals across Wales.
• The scheme has two parts: recording how a patient is feeling, and a clear route for patients and families to ask for further clinical review.
• It builds on existing tools used across NHS Wales, including the all-Wales Maternity Early Warning Score and the Neonatal Early Warning Trigger and Track tools.
• Health boards and trusts were required to put in place arrangements for recording patient wellbeing and setting up escalation routes in hospital wards by July 2026.
• The approach draws on learning from pilots across NHS Wales, and reflects the principles behind Ryan's Rule in Australia and Martha's Rule in England.