The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a tool used to measure the physiology of patients in hospitals or other care settings. Launched in 2012, and updated in 2017 (NEWS2), NEWS is integral to keeping patients safe as it improves detection and response to clinical deterioration. The NEWS2 is based on a simple scoring system based on the following parameters (vital signs):

• Respiratory rate
• Oxygen saturations
• Temperature
• Systolic blood pressure
• Heart rate
• Level of consciousness or new confusion

These vital signs will be allocated with a score as they are measured, and the greatness of the number reflects how much the measurement differs from the norm. The NEWS2 score numbers align with a clinical risk from low to high. 1- 4 is low risk, 5-6 is medium and 7 or more is high. If a patient requires supplemental oxygen then these scores are uplifted by 2 points.

This system is standardized across the NHS in terms of recording, scoring and responding processes to ensure consistency and ease of training. Based on previous early warning scores and track and trigger system, the NEWS2 allows for early detection, timeliness and competency of clinical response when determining outcomes of people with acute illnesses.

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