Parents' concerns to trigger urgent checks in A&E
Nov 2, 08:52 AM
Two-year-old Finlay Roberts died after spending hours in a crowded hospital corridor. A coroner raised concerns about a lack of basic observations done by busy staff.
A new early warning system is being introduced in hospital emergency departments in England to help busy NHS staff identify sick children who are dangerously deteriorating.
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.
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.
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."
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