Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
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Blood transfusion is a potentially dangerous treatment in which adverse reactions are rare but can be fatal. This article introduces recently published national guidelines for the care of recipients of a blood transfusion (BCSH 1999) and focuses in particular on the responsibilities of nurses and midwives.
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The vast majority of homeless people in the UK are male. In addition to becoming susceptible to many illnesses and to alcohol abuse, homeless men face a number of problems in accessing health care. A transformation of the health services is required to meet the needs of this vulnerable group.
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This article describes how a large trust in the north east of England is in the process of developing a unique service for non-emergency patients in one of its main A&E departments. The Urgent Need Assessment Service (UNAS), co-located within the main A&E department, features the use of NHS Direct computerised algorithms to enable nurses to recommend the best treatment or course of action accurately and safely, for all patients attending the department who are categorised as blue or green status in accordance with the Manchester triage model of A&E assessment. The UNAS facility incorporates discretely staffed minor injuries and minor ailments services. ⋯ This pilot study has proved to be highly satisfactory to the majority of people who have been treated at UNAS. Those previously regarded as 'inappropriate attenders' might be better suited to treatment in a different department, separate from the traditional A&E department, with reduced waiting times, and under the care of specially trained nurses.