NEWS2 calculator
The UK national early warning score. Aggregates seven physiological parameters into a single number that drives the escalation and sepsis response in NHS hospitals.
What it is used for
NEWS2 is the standardised deterioration score used across the NHS, published by the Royal College of Physicians in 2017. Seven parameters are each scored, and the aggregate determines monitoring frequency and how urgently a senior clinician must attend. It also carries a specific role in sepsis: NICE NG253 uses NEWS2 of 5 or more, rather than qSOFA, as the primary trigger for a sepsis assessment in UK hospitals. A single parameter scoring 3 on its own demands the same urgency as an aggregate of 7.
The seven scored parameters
| Component | Points |
|---|---|
| Respiration rate | — |
| Oxygen saturationSpO₂ Scale 1, or Scale 2 for target 88–92% in hypercapnic respiratory failure | — |
| Air or supplemental oxygenSupplemental oxygen scores 2 | — |
| Systolic blood pressure | — |
| Pulse rate | — |
| Level of consciousnessAlert, or new confusion / voice / pain / unresponsive | — |
| Temperature | — |
The calculator applies the full RCP 2017 point bands to the values you enter, including the separate SpO₂ Scale 2 logic for patients with a target saturation of 88–92%.
How the score is interpreted
When not to use it
- A single parameter scoring 3 carries the same urgency as an aggregate of 7, even when the total is otherwise low.
- Select SpO₂ Scale 2 only for patients with known hypercapnic respiratory failure and a documented 88–92% target — using the wrong scale changes the score.
- NEWS2 is not validated in pregnancy (use a maternity early warning score) or in children (use PEWS).
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