The National Early Warning Score and COMPASS© Education programme project is a work stream of the National Acute Medicine Programme, HSE, in association with the National Critical Care Programme, HSE, the National Elective Surgery Programme, HSE, the National Emergency Medicine Programme, HSE, the Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, HSE, Patient Representative Groups, Nursing and Midwifery Services Directorate, HSE, the Clinical Indemnity Scheme (State Claims Agency), the Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery (IADNAM), and the Therapy Professionals Committee. The project is supported by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Using this National Clinical Guideline This document is intended to be relevant to healthcare professionals in acute hospitals nationally who are involved in the direct clinical care of patients. It is also relevant for hospital managers, risk managers and quality and patient safety personnel. The target group is adult patients in acute hospitals. This summary version, in addition to the full version, which provides more detail on the National Clinical Guideline, are available on the websites www.hse.ie/go/ nationalearlywarningscore/ and www.patientsafetyfirst.ie. The references, bibliography and appendices are available in the full version document.