Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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To assess the effect of the introduction of NHS Direct on advice seeking calls to an accident and emergency (A&E) department. ⋯ The introduction of NHS Direct has allowed for a mechanism to be put in place reducing the number of calls for advice being dealt with by the A&E department clinical staff with a concomitant time saving. At the same time the number of calls for advice made by the public to the hospital has dramatically increased.
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Prior alert via a landline telephone ("blue call") is commonly used to warn accident and emergency (A&E) departments of the impending arrival of a seriously ill or injured patient. There are no published indications for making such calls or validated protocols on message content. Submitted telephone information has the potential for distortion as it is passed through the control centre resulting in inappropriate resource allocation. ⋯ These patients may have benefited from prior alert. A protocol is suggested to provide criteria for making a prior alert to the A&E department via a landline connection. A standardised message structure would be used using vital signs and mechanism of injury or type of illness to assist in hospital preparation.
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(1) To determine the pattern of ambulance arrivals in the emergency department (ED) and (2) to review resource allocation based on these data. ⋯ In planning resource allocation and in the development of contingency plans, the resource use of ambulance patients and the pattern of their arrivals should be taken into account.
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To describe the diagnostic errors occurring in a busy district general hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department over four years. ⋯ Good clinical skills are essential. Most abnormalities missed on radiograph were not difficult to diagnose. Junior doctors in A&E should receive specific training and be tested on their ability to interpret radiographs correctly before being allowed to work unsupervised.
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The aim of this study was to examine the quality of handover of patients in the resuscitation room by describing the current perceptions of medical and ambulance staff. ⋯ Despite a generally positive perception of handovers there may be some room for improvement, in particular in the area of medical emergencies. Ambulance staff training should produce a structure for the handover that is recognisable to medical staff. The aim being a smooth and efficient transfer from prehospital agencies to A&E staff.