8. Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration

Appropriate and timely care is provided to patients whose condition is acutely deteriorating.

Acute deterioration is detected and recognised, and action is taken to escalate care.

Organisation-wide systems are used to support and promote detection and recognition of acute deterioration, and the response to patients whose condition acutely deteriorates. These systems are consistent with the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration, the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care, the National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for recognising and responding to deterioration in a person’s mental state, the National consensus statement: essential elements for safe and high-quality paediatric end-of-life care, and the Delirium Clinical Care Standard.

Leaders of a health service organisation set up and maintain systems for recognising and responding to acute deterioration. The workforce uses the recognition and response systems.

Responding to deterioration

Responding to deterioration

Responding to deterioration

Responding to deterioration

Escalating care

Escalating care

Escalating care

Escalating care

Recognising acute deterioration

Recognising acute deterioration

Partnering with consumers

Applying quality improvement systems

Integrating clinical governance