In 2012, the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) was introduced to standardise monitoring of vital signs and improve patient safety in acute hospitals. By 2017 around two-thirds of NHS hospitals were using NEWS and an updated version, NEWS2, was released. In 2019 all acute hospital trusts and ambulance services were required to use NEWS2. Now NEWS2 is being used increasingly in care homes and community settings. People living in care homes are often frail and have multiple healthcare conditions. NEWS was never designed to monitor the health of older people, but it has the potential to improve care by enabling staff to identify people who are becoming unwell and to provide care within care homes and the person’s own home. However, if it is not introduced with care, it could lead to an increase in the number of people attending accident and emergency departments. This article examines the emerging evidence base and concludes that appropriate support and advanced care planning are of crucial importance.