Recognising deterioration before PICU admission

Dr Emer Kennedy, Resident Doctor, and Jack Ramsay, Medical Student at Newcastle University, discuss an audit of the recognition and response to deterioration before unplanned admission to paediatric intensive care. They describe work at Great North Children’s Hospital examining escalation, clinical response and documentation across two audit cycles. The interview explores changes observed over time and the contribution of a paediatric deterioration nurse specialist. They reflect on how the findings can support the development of a critical-care outreach service and describe plans to continue evaluating this area of care.

This interview took place at the PCCS Annual Scientific Meeting 2026 in London.