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NPEWS Scoring — Unified Reference Table

Configuration Document for SPOT NPEWS (NHS England)

Manually checked against the live NHS England NPEWS charts by Marcus Baw (GMC 4712729) on 2026-06-30.

Colours: White (0), Yellow (1), Orange (2), Pink (4). Each cell lists every band as range → score (Colour); bands are inclusive and meet at x.99 boundaries.

Conformance: Conformant with the national SPOT NPEWS algorithm: temperature and AVPU are NOT numerically scored — temperature produces a sepsis warning and AVPU produces a specific-concern escalation decision (see nonScoring below).

Numerically scored vital signs

Respiratory Rate (breaths/min)

0 to 11 months 1-4 Years 5-12 Years ≥13 Years
0–9.99 → 4 (Pink)
10–19.99 → 2 (Orange)
20–29.99 → 1 (Yellow)
30–49.99 → 0 (White)
50–59.99 → 1 (Yellow)
60–69.99 → 2 (Orange)
70+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–9.99 → 4 (Pink)
10–19.99 → 2 (Orange)
20–39.99 → 0 (White)
40–49.99 → 1 (Yellow)
50–59.99 → 2 (Orange)
60+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–9.99 → 4 (Pink)
10–14.99 → 2 (Orange)
15–19.99 → 1 (Yellow)
20–24.99 → 0 (White)
25–39.99 → 1 (Yellow)
40–49.99 → 2 (Orange)
50+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–9.99 → 4 (Pink)
10–14.99 → 1 (Yellow)
15–24.99 → 0 (White)
25–29.99 → 1 (Yellow)
30–39.99 → 2 (Orange)
40+ → 4 (Pink)

Heart Rate (bpm)

0 to 11 months 1-4 Years 5-12 Years ≥13 Years
0–79.99 → 4 (Pink)
80–89.99 → 2 (Orange)
90–109.99 → 1 (Yellow)
110–149.99 → 0 (White)
150–169.99 → 1 (Yellow)
170–179.99 → 2 (Orange)
180+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–59.99 → 4 (Pink)
60–69.99 → 2 (Orange)
70–89.99 → 1 (Yellow)
90–139.99 → 0 (White)
140–149.99 → 1 (Yellow)
150–169.99 → 2 (Orange)
170+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–59.99 → 4 (Pink)
60–69.99 → 2 (Orange)
70–79.99 → 1 (Yellow)
80–119.99 → 0 (White)
120–139.99 → 1 (Yellow)
140–159.99 → 2 (Orange)
160+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–49.99 → 4 (Pink)
50–59.99 → 2 (Orange)
60–69.99 → 1 (Yellow)
70–99.99 → 0 (White)
100–119.99 → 1 (Yellow)
120–129.99 → 2 (Orange)
130+ → 4 (Pink)

Blood Pressure — systolic (mmHg)

0 to 11 months 1-4 Years 5-12 Years ≥13 Years
0–49.99 → 4 (Pink)
50–59.99 → 2 (Orange)
60–69.99 → 1 (Yellow)
70–89.99 → 0 (White)
90–99.99 → 1 (Yellow)
100–109.99 → 2 (Orange)
110+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–49.99 → 4 (Pink)
50–59.99 → 2 (Orange)
60–79.99 → 1 (Yellow)
80–99.99 → 0 (White)
100–119.99 → 1 (Yellow)
120–129.99 → 2 (Orange)
130+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–69.99 → 4 (Pink)
70–79.99 → 2 (Orange)
80–89.99 → 1 (Yellow)
90–109.99 → 0 (White)
110–119.99 → 1 (Yellow)
120–129.99 → 2 (Orange)
130+ → 4 (Pink)		 0–79.99 → 4 (Pink)
80–89.99 → 2 (Orange)
90–99.99 → 1 (Yellow)
100–119.99 → 0 (White)
120–129.99 → 1 (Yellow)
130–139.99 → 2 (Orange)
140+ → 4 (Pink)

Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂ %)

0 to 11 months 1-4 Years 5-12 Years ≥13 Years
0–91 → 4 (Pink)
91.01–94.99 → 1 (Yellow)
95–100 → 0 (White)		 0–91 → 4 (Pink)
91.01–94.99 → 1 (Yellow)
95–100 → 0 (White)		 0–91 → 4 (Pink)
91.01–94.99 → 1 (Yellow)
95–100 → 0 (White)		 0–91 → 4 (Pink)
91.01–94.99 → 1 (Yellow)
95–100 → 0 (White)

Oxygen Support Level (FiO₂ %)

0 to 11 months 1-4 Years 5-12 Years ≥13 Years
0–15.99 → 0 (White)
16–29.99 → 1 (Yellow)
30–49.99 → 2 (Orange)
50–100 → 4 (Pink)		 0–15.99 → 0 (White)
16–29.99 → 1 (Yellow)
30–49.99 → 2 (Orange)
50–100 → 4 (Pink)		 0–15.99 → 0 (White)
16–29.99 → 1 (Yellow)
30–49.99 → 2 (Orange)
50–100 → 4 (Pink)		 0–15.99 → 0 (White)
16–29.99 → 1 (Yellow)
30–49.99 → 2 (Orange)
50–100 → 4 (Pink)

Oxygen Support Level (L/min)

0 to 11 months 1-4 Years 5-12 Years ≥13 Years
0–0.009 → 0 (White)
0.01–1.99 → 1 (Yellow)
2–5.99 → 2 (Orange)
6–20 → 4 (Pink)		 0–0.009 → 0 (White)
0.01–1.99 → 1 (Yellow)
2–5.99 → 2 (Orange)
6–20 → 4 (Pink)		 0–0.009 → 0 (White)
0.01–1.99 → 1 (Yellow)
2–5.99 → 2 (Orange)
6–20 → 4 (Pink)		 0–0.009 → 0 (White)
0.01–1.99 → 1 (Yellow)
2–5.99 → 2 (Orange)
6–20 → 4 (Pink)

Categorical parameters (all age bands)

Respiratory Distress

Severity Score
none 0 (White)
mild 1 (Yellow)
moderate 2 (Orange)
severe 4 (Pink)

Capillary Refill Time

Range Score
≤ 2 seconds 0 (White)
≥ 3 seconds 2 (Orange)

Below/equal 2s scores 0; >=3s scores 2. Charts do not define a score for 2.01-2.99s.

Oxygen Support Device

  • Score 4 (Pink), overrides delivery level: HF, BiP, CP (High Flow, BiPAP, CPAP)
  • Scored per delivery level: NP, FM, HB, NRB (Nasal prongs, Face mask, Head box, Non-rebreather)

Not numerically scored

These are recorded and drive escalation only — they do not add to the PEWS total (national SPOT NPEWS conformance).

  • Temperature — Think sepsis warning; does not independently assign an escalation level: high >= 38, low < 36.
  • AVPU — Specific-concern escalation trigger: V → high; P/U → emergency.

Escalation (PEWS total → level)

Level PEWS total
Low 1–4
Medium 5–8
High 9–12
Emergency 13+