NEWS2
NEWS2 scoring chart and the published clinical-risk bands (Royal College of Physicians, 2017).
What it is for
Reference card: the chart the score is added up from. Use the official RCP NEWS2 chart in practice.
Use the working calculator
The working NEWS2 calculator is on our calculators page. It is free and needs no account. Enter the values and it shows the result with the reading that goes with it.
The calculators are free. The trial opens the protocols and pathways they link to.What you enter
The calculator asks for 7 items.
Vitals
- Respiratory rate (/min)
- SpO₂ (%)
- On supplemental oxygen+2 points.
- Systolic BP (mmHg)
- Heart rate (/min)
- Temperature (°C)
- Consciousness (ACVPU)Options: A — Alert; C/V/P/U — New confusion or worse
How the result is read
The result is shown as NEWS2, out of a maximum of 20.
The calculator reads each total as follows. Where a single answer changes the reading (for example sex, age or one extreme value), the working calculator says so.
| Total | Band | What the calculator says |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Low | Routine monitoring. 12-hourly observations. |
| 1 to 4 | Low–medium | Increase observations + nurse / GP review. 4–6 hourly NEWS2. |
| 5 to 6 | Medium | Urgent clinician review within 1 h. Hourly observations. Consider sepsis pathway. |
| 7 to 20 | High | Emergency response — 999 / blue-light admission. Consider sepsis. Continuous monitoring. Senior clinician review. |
Sources
These are the sources the calculator cites. Check the current version before relying on a threshold.
Related
For qualified clinicians. A score supports a clinical decision and does not make it: check the inputs, read the cited source, and use the tools in your clinical system for patient care where one is provided.