Australia National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards Second Edition 8.06-8.09: Escalation protocols specify agreed vital sign and mental state triggers, emergency assistance criteria, unmanaged pain or distress and the worry or concern of workforce, patients, carers and families; patients, carers and families can escalate care directly; the workforce has mechanisms to escalate and call for emergency assistance; and the workforce uses them

Escalation protocols must state the agreed vital sign and other physiological triggers, agreed mental state triggers, the thresholds for calling emergency help, pain or distress that available treatment cannot control, and worry or concern voiced by staff, patients, carers or families. Patients and families must be able to escalate care themselves, staff must have the means to escalate and summon emergency help, and staff must use those systems.