NHS Pathways system update - clinical release note - release 51.2.0
Release 51.2.0 was made available to suppliers and providers on 30 March 2026.
NHS Pathways make changes to content based on new or emerging clinical evidence, change requests, and feedback from our providers or wider stakeholders.
NHS Pathways identifies areas of content that would benefit from enhancement. The aim of these enhancements is to provide clarity for users, and to benefit both users’ and patients’ experiences, thus ensuring that triage is as safe, effective, and efficient as possible.
The enhancements to Main Telephony made by NHS Pathways for Release 51.2.0 are highlighted below. Release 51.2.0 was made available to suppliers and providers on 30 March 2026.
What we've changed
NHS Pathways have made changes to how patients are managed in the Declared Blood Sugar Problem Pathway.
Changes within Declared Blood Sugar Problem Pathway
The following changes were made
- Patients being assessed within the declared blood sugar problem pathway with new confusion, who have previously been diagnosed with diabetes, who express no concern about their blood sugar and have a confirmed normal blood sugar reading, will now be managed within other pathways which will assess their primary concern rather than blood sugar problems.
NHS Pathways have made changes to the care advice guidance for Basic Life Support (BLS) following new Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) guidelines.
Basic Life Support (BLS) guidelines RCUK 2025
The following changes were made
- In line with the guidelines: Infant BLS advice for chest compressions has been updated from two-finger method to the two thumb, hands encircling technique.
Following the Clinical Coding Review Group (CCRG) review of recommendations from the UK Pre-Hospital Maternity and Newborn Care Group, NHS Pathways were required to make changes to the labour and childbirth pathways.
Labour and childbirth changes
The following outcome changes have been made
- Term (37 weeks and over) babies born before arrival of an ambulance will now receive a Category 2 Ambulance outcome
- In the labour and childbirth pathways, maternal vaginal bleeding of any amount and pregnancy over 20 weeks gestation (baby not yet born) now receive a minimum Category 2 Ambulance outcome.
Following stakeholder feedback NHS Pathways have made changes within the Attend Incident pathways.
Attend incident
The following changes were made
- To support callers to be able to receive options for care advice in more situations, the reordering of questions have been made to support this.
- For the question ‘WHAT LEVEL OF RESPONSE IS REQUIRED?’ an additional stem has been added to the question to support management of category 5 calls that may be received. For the questions ‘DOES THE CALL INVOLVE EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING?’ and ‘IS THE CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE, TRAUMA OR A MEDICAL INCIDENT?’ "inhalation of hot fumes/smoke” has been added to the supporting information to support users.
NHS Pathways have made changes to the toddler pathway for those who are fighting desperately for every breath as well as the life-threatening asthma pathway for adults and children without adrenaline.
Life threatening asthma
The following amendments have been made to the toddler pathways
- When 'fighting desperately for every breath' a new question asking 'prescribed inhalers' has been inserted. If on prescribed inhalers and confused, agitated, drowsy or a deathly colour, a Category 1 ambulance disposition will be received.
- For those who suddenly develop symptoms and have a history of a life‑threatening allergic reaction or rapid tongue or throat swelling, the pathway now allows them to follow the school’s advice to use a ‘spare’ Adrenaline Auto‑Injector (AAI) if they reach the point of needing adrenaline but don’t have their own.
- Addition of declared questions in early exit for 999 and NHS 111 for phone line went dead to capture these populations.
- The following amendments have also been made to the existing routes when answering positively for fighting for beath and declared asthma, and are confused, agitated, drowsy or a deathly colour. For adults and children who suddenly develop these symptoms and have a history of a life‑threatening allergic reaction or rapid tongue or throat swelling, the pathway now allows them to follow the school’s advice to use a ‘spare’ Adrenaline Auto‑Injector (AAI) if they reach the point of needing adrenaline but don’t have their own.
Last edited: 30 March 2026 9:50 am