Deteriorating patient audit feasibility study report

The Department of Health National Effectiveness Committee (NCEC) launched the first National Clinical Guideline (NCG) in 2013 – the NCG No. 1 National Early Warning Score (NEWS). NEWS was subsequently updated in 220 and became the Irish National Early Warning System (INEWS V2) (DOH, 2020). INEWS V2 provides evidence-based guidance to staff for the management of the acutely unwell, clinically deteriorating, non-pregnant, adult inpatient. The international literature recognises in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest and unplanned admission to ICU as measures suitable for clinical audit for capturing and improving the clinically deterioration patient pathway. The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland have national clinical audits of in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrests. The Republic of Ireland audits out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. However, to date, no national clinical audit exists which reliably measure the effectiveness of the management of the clinically deteriorating patient in the acute hospital setting.