Role of the accident and emergency review clinic in UK service provision.
OBJECTIVE
Selected patients attending accident and emergency (A&E) are seen again in the A&E review clinic for planned follow up. Despite the large number of patients being seen in these clinics, this area of A&E service provision has rarely been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the current provision of review clinic services in UK A&E departments, their organisation, and their perceived role in current practice.


METHODS
Postal survey of all major UK adult and paediatric A&E units.


RESULTS
Almost all major UK A&E departments have a review clinic service and almost three quarters see less than 10% as reviews in line with current guidance. Many departments feel their clinics are well run and fulfil their objectives. Others are under pressure from external sources to see more patients. Over a third of departments have no written policies or protocols guiding referral to these clinics.


CONCLUSIONS
Review clinics are an important part of the A&E service in the UK and minimum standards need to be set in the provision of these services. Further audit and research needs to be carried out on the review clinic service to guide its future development.
Dasan
S
S
Accident and Emergency Department, Mayday University Hospital, Croydon, Surrey, UK. s_dasan@hotmail.com
Hashemi
K
K
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom