No sanction for doctor found guilty of misconduct in Martha’s rule case

A disciplinary tribunal has ruled that Professor Richard Thompson, the senior consultant at King’s College Hospital who was found guilty of misconduct in the care of 13‑year‑old Martha Mills, will face no further sanctions. The Guardian reported that the tribunal described his actions as “a single lapse of judgment in an otherwise exemplary career” and cited exceptional circumstances as the basis for its decision.

Thompson, on duty at King’s College Hospital on 29 August 2021, failed to escalate Martha’s deteriorating condition to intensive care and did not conduct a follow-up in-person review, despite being alerted by the duty registrar when the young patient developed a rash. Martha, who had been admitted after a bike accident and sustained an injury to her pancreas, died from sepsis two days later—a case that prompted the introduction of “Martha’s Rule,” granting patients the right to a second medical opinion in English hospitals.

The tribunal stressed that there were no outstanding public protection issues in this instance and that it was not their role to punish a doctor for a singular error. Tribunal chairman Robin Ince explained, “A sufficiently clear message has already been sent to the profession and the public that even an experienced doctor like Professor Thompson can make serious errors in clinical judgment. Removing him from practice—even temporarily—would not be in the public interest given the invaluable expertise he offers as a hepatologist.”

While the General Medical Council argued that Thompson should be suspended to maintain public confidence and professional standards, the tribunal maintained that any suspension would result in the loss of his nationally and internationally recognized expertise and would be an undue punishment, given that there was no evidence that his conduct had directly contributed to Martha’s death.

Disclaimer: The accuracy and information of news stories published on this website is accurate on the date of publishing. We endeavour to update stories if information change. You can contact us with change and update requests. Where possible, we will link to sources. Content on this website is for guidance purposes only. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any action taken, or not taken. You should seek the appropriate legal advice having regard to your own particular circumstances.