A new working party report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) says there should be a national system for recognising very sick patients whose condition is deteriorating and who need more intensive medical or nursing care.

The RCP has produced a new resource to help clinicians implement treatment following the calculation of a patient’s NEWS2 score.

On day one of Medicine 2019, Professor Bryan Williams gave a presentation on the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) and its recent update, NEWS2.

Dr Mark Temple, the RCP’s acute medicine fellow, welcomed the publication of the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report, Time to intervene, which highlights the importance of early consultant review of patients admitted acutely to hospital.

This guidance emphasises the place of NEWS2 in managing patients with COVID-19.