System-wide Paediatric Observations Tracking (SPOT) Programme
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has worked in partnership with NHS England and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to establish a single National Paediatric Early Warning Score and system, (PEWS) for England.
While many acute hospitals have developed their own programmes to improve the recognition and response to deterioration, this has created inconsistencies across regions and the country. This is unlike other countries, including the devolved nations of Scotland and Northern Ireland, where single PEWS systems for children are in place. The RCN has been calling for a single system across England for over a decade.
In June 2018, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the RCPCH and the RCN came together to establish a joint National PEWS programme board for England. The RCN is a member of the Programme Board and many RCN members have been involved in the working and clinical advisory groups.
Resources
- NHS England: Paediatric early warning system (PEWS) observation and escalation charts for England.
- NHSGGC Paediatrics for Health Professionals: Paediatric Early Warning Score: PEWS for Scotland.
- Health and Social Care Quality Improvement (HSCQI) Northern Ireland: Regional Paediatric Early Warning Score Chart for 6-12 year olds.
Further resources
- RCN (2017): Standards for Assessing, Measuring and Monitoring Vital Signs in Infants, Children and Young People.
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH): System-wide Paediatric Observation Tracking (SPOT) Programme - Developing a standardised Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) for England (updated 2023).
- Newcastle hospitals (2021): Child BP measurement (Youtube video).
- Thomas-Jones et al (2018): A prospective, mixed-methods, before and after study to identify the evidence base for the core components of an effective Paediatric Early Warning System and the development of an implementation package containing those core recommendations for use in the UK: Paediatric early warning system – utilisation and mortality avoidance– the PUMA study protocol. BMC Paediatrics, Pediatrics (2018).
- Roland et al (2021): Case for change: a standardised inpatient paediatric early warning system in England.
- NICE (2016): Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management.
Page last updated - 20/02/2024
