The Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust
Luton, Bedfordshire, England
The Colour Banded Early Warning Observation Chart was introduced as a track and trigger tool to help nursing staff identify patients who are at risk of deteriorating through critical illness, and then obtain a timely response from either the doctor or outreach nurse.
If the observations fall in the red bands then the staff have identified a patient at risk and follow the instructions on the reverse of the chart to obtain an appropriate response.
If the observations fall into the yellow bands then staff compare with previous observations and if the observations have altered or they remain in the yellow bands on two or more consecutive occasions, then the staff have also identified a patient at risk and need to obtain a response using the instructions on the reverse of the chart.
Background
The chart has been successful in identifying patients at risk and reducing failure to rescues within the hospital. Staff like the colour banded chart as it is eye-catching and easy to see when observations have fallen into the red or yellow bands.
