sostriage
Priority levels and safety rules
Clinical priority makes the working urgency of each contact visible across the duty board, case history, and handover. Priority can rise quickly and cannot fall automatically after a reassuring answer.
01
Red is an emergency pace
A life-threatening path opens on red. So does a danger answer, a danger observation, or an unknown answer on a danger question. Home is closed. A senior signature is required before the emergency handover is issued.
02
Amber is urgent, and still open
Most symptom paths open on amber. The person should be seen today, or raised if a danger answer appears. A clinician confirms the outcome. Amber is not a waiting room you can forget.
03
Green is a human decision
Green means ordinary, once a clinician has agreed. Advice and a safety net. Never assigned by the machine as all clear. Never while the finding is still red.
04
Unknown does not relax the colour
“I don’t know” on a danger question is a reason to raise, not a reason to wait. A reassuring sentence later does not pull the colour back down.