Find the NEWS on an app

An app has been launched in Wales to help hospital staff use the National Early Warning Score to identify patients who are developing serious illnesses, such as sepsis.

The app, which can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store for free, has been developed by 1000 Lives Plus in conjunction with Cardiff Medical Apps.

1000 Lives Plus is Wales’ national improvement programme, supporting organisations and individuals to deliver the highest quality and safest healthcare for patients.

The NHS National Early Warning Score is a simple system that hospital staff can use to spot deteriorating patients and decide on the best response. It became a standard procedure in hospitals throughout Wales in April.

The app is intended to help clinicians to calculate the risk of a patient deteriorating and the likelihood of sepsis being underlying cause.

It calculates the level of risk, based on the NHS Early Warning Score and Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. The app makes clear that it is not intended as a substitute for full clinical judgment and diagnostic procedure

Dr Chris Subbe, a member of the 1000 Lives Plus Faculty who works in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, introduced NEWS as part of the 1000 Lives Plus rapid response to acute illness programme.

This offers ongoing support to organisations who are implementing NICE Guidance on acutely ill patients in hospital.

“It provides a standard level of response to ensure that every patient in Wales receives the same level and quality of care,” he said.

“All staff, wherever they work in a hospital, and whether they are doctors, nurses, physiotherapists or other staff, can use NEWS to assess patients.”

EHI repoter Chris Thorne recently visited the laboratories of the NHS Wales Informatics Service for an update on Wales' IT plans. Read more in 'The way of the dragon' in Insight.