title: Promoting patient safety using an early warning scoring system.
abstract: Recognising when a patient's condition is deteriorating is a key aspect of patient safety and the use of early warning scoring systems is integral to this. Compliance with such systems can often be poor. Through the introduction of a competency framework and audit system, the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has demonstrated improvements in compliance with a modified early warning scoring tool, which has had significant benefits in terms of patient safety.
authors.affiliation: Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham. yvonne.higgins@heartofengland.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maries-Tillott
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quinton
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richmond
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008485:Medical Audit; D010361:Patients; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom