NEWS2: National Early Warning Score

Deterioration & sepsis

The aggregate physiology score most UK and many international hospitals escalate on. Scale 2 for SpO₂ applies only to confirmed hypercapnic respiratory failure with a prescribed 88–92% target.

What you enter

Respiratory rate (/min)
SpO₂ (%)
SpO₂ scale: Scale 1 (standard) / Scale 2 (target 88–92%, hypercapnic)
On supplemental oxygen: No / Yes
Systolic BP (mmHg)
Heart rate (/min)
Consciousness: Alert / New confusion, Voice, Pain or Unresponsive
Temperature (°C)

FORMULASum of RR, SpO₂ (scale 1 or 2), supplemental O₂, SBP, HR, consciousness (ACVPU), temperature; thresholds 5–6 medium, ≥7 high, any single 3 = medium

SourceRoyal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2: Standardising the assessment of acute-illness severity in the NHS. 2017ReviewedFormula and thresholds checked against the source on 2026-08-22. If the source updates, this line will say so.