The new numbered, colour-coded charts are being introduced nationally as an initiative of the Health Quality and Safety Commission.
Each of the patient's readings is recorded in the grid, and results higher or lower than normal are entered in different coloured zones.
The higher their score the more acute a patient's need. Anything over halfway is likely to trigger a call to a senior doctor.
"It looks quite obvious, but the amount of work which has taken place to get to this point has been quite considerable," Southern District Health Board chief medical officer Nigel Millar said.
"We had a programme before, but this steps it up a level and gives us a more reliable and effective way of doing it."
The new forms provided clearer data recording and made understanding the figures and recognising if there was a problem much easier.
"They accurately measure where a patient has reached a threshold at which point we need to take action, and we then have an escalation plan where it is specified who you contact and what the timelines are, and the response is specified as well."
The new charts have been introduced in all adult wards in the hospital apart from intensive care (which has electronic monitoring of patients), maternity (which requires different vital signs to be recorded), and paediatrics, which will follow later in the year.
Wards also now have a clinical team co-ordinator, who is the first person contacted out of normal hours when a patient deteriorates.
Dr Millar said the new form was an important step towards electronic record-keeping.
"My thesis on health information systems is that if you can't get it right on paper then you are never going to get it right on a computer, so we need to get this well rehearsed and well understood so everyone is well placed for when we go electronic.
"That will be our future strategy, but we haven't got a definite date for that yet."
