Complaints and litigation--three years experience at a busy accident and emergency department 1983-5.
Between 1 January 1983 and 31 December 1985, 72 complaints concerning the management of patients attending Accident and Emergency (A & E) Departments in South Glamorgan were received. This represents an incidence of 1 in 3,390 new patient attendances (0.029%). Thirteen cases have to-date involved legal action (1 in 22,895 new attendances). An analysis is made of the nature and management of these cases.
D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014852:Wales