A&E warning system to flag sick children deteriorating quickly

It comes after Health Secretary Yvette Cooper promised to stop "corridor care" for sick children because of long waits for hospital beds.

The new National Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) asks staff to check, log and grade vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels.

A high overall score means a child needs more urgent attention. Concerns from staff, parents, carers or the child themselves will trigger an immediate escalation of care.

The initiative is designed to save lives ahead of winter, when pressure on the NHS is at its highest.

On the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Cooper recently talked about the case of two-year-old Finlay Roberts, who died in 2024 after spending hours in a hospital corridor before being discharged.

Cooper apologised to Finlay's parents on behalf of the NHS, saying: "No child should be treated in a corridor. No patient should be treated in a corridor."

Whittington Health NHS Trust, where Finlay waited for treatment, extended its condolences to the family and said it continued to experience periods of exceptional demand across emergency care and, at times, some patients may receive care in temporary clinical areas, including corridors.

A similar "early warning" system to identify acutely ill adults, including those with sepsis, is already in use in emergency and general NHS hospital wards.

Kaynak: BBC News Health RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)