Emergency department (ED) patient safety checklist

This checklist has been proven to improve clinical processes and reduce serious incidents from unrecognised patient deterioration in crowded emergency departments.

Faltering growth: recognition and management of faltering growth in children

New NICE Guidance covering the recognition, assessment and monitoring of faltering growth in infants and children. It includes a definition of growth thresholds for concern and identifying the risk factors for, and possible causes of, faltering growth. It also covers interventions, when to refer, service design, and information and support.

This guideline includes recommendations on:

• weight loss in the early days of life
• faltering growth after the early days of life
• organisation of care
• information and support for parents and carers

Safety and quality of emergency care

Chief Inspector of Hospitals Prof Ted Baker has written to England’s NHS trusts to highlight good practice from successful emergency care departments.

The examples came from discussions at a recent CQC event attended by senior clinical and nursing staff from 16 trusts rated good or outstanding for urgent and emergency care services.

The key themes identified in Prof Baker’s letter to trusts were:

• Ambulance arrivals
• First clinical assessment
• Use of inappropriate physical spaces
• Specialist referrals
• Escalation
• Deteriorating patients
• Patient outcomes
• Staff.

Resources to support safer care of the deteriorating patient (adults and children)

A stage two resource alert has been issued by NHS Improvement to support the timely identification, response and management of the deteriorating patient (adults and children).

• Resources for the detection and management of deterioration in adult patients
• Safe system framework for children at risk of deterioration