Journal of accident & emergency medicine
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An audit of use of the telephone Helpline in the accident and emergency (A&E) department was conducted to establish the type of call, time, by whom the calls were made, appropriateness of advice given, and whether callers attended or not as advised, and also to obtain feedback from callers as to the degree of satisfaction with the advice given. ⋯ The Helpline has proved of benefit to the public. It is necessary and important to have protocols for common problems and to document all details carefully. It is also necessary that nursing staff are trained in handling the telephone queries and using the protocols. The use of a PC based system has improved data collection and also allows immediate access to protocols.
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To examine the use of accident and emergency (A&E) services by the homeless, with particular reference to the use of psychiatric services generated by this attendance. ⋯ There has been no significant increase in the use of A&E services by homeless people in the population studied over the eight year period. Several possible explanations for this are given.