A PROFILE OF ATTENDERS AT THE A-AND-E DEPARTMENT OF THE CHILDRENS-HOSPITAL, TEMPLE STREET, DUBLIN

The Department of Health state that the prime function of the A&E depa rtment is to provide for the reception and initial management of every variety of medical emergency, provided that the condition could not b e treated by the General Practitioner. The A&E department in the Child ren's Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin receives an average of 55,000 vi sits annually. The study profiled attenders according to their: socioe conomic status; reasons for attendance; appropriateness of attendance; and outcome of attendance. Attenders parents sere more likely to be u nemployed (22%), single (26%) and GMS card holders (52%) than national average figures. Families who attended out of hours (i.e. after 5pm) and/or who mere self-referred did not differ socio-economically from o ther attenders. 74% of all attenders were self-referred and the self-r eferred group were more likely to attend after 5pm. 54% of attenders h ad attended the department more than once in the previous twelve month s, 37% of all attendance were due to accidents. Casualty doctors asses sed that 39% of of all attendance did not require hospital services, H owever, the percentage of 'GP referred' and 'self-referred' groups dee med to require hospital services were comparable (47% v 38%). Furtherm ore, only 19% of GP referrals were admitted. These figures suggest tha t a large number of children who attend the A&E department should be a ttending a medical paediatric out patient unit, rather than an A&E dep artment.