Professional
A good idea badly implemented? Revised National Early Warning Score 2 in community settings
Linda Nazarko
Published Online:5 Jun 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2019.24.6.291
ABSTRACT
The revised National Early Warning Score (NEWS2), a tool used to measure acute deterioration in hospital, has been introduced in acute NHS hospitals and ambulance services. Community nurses report that when they call 999 requesting an ambulance to take a person to hospital, they are asked to provide a NEWS score. They report that when the NEWS score is high, ambulance staff prioritise the call. The NEWS score is being introduced in the community by default. This article will outline how the NEWS score is calculated, its uses and limitations and asks if the NEWS score accurately measures acute deterioration in people living in the community and predicts the need for referral to accident and emergency services.
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