title: Impact of the New Zealand 2011 Rugby World Cup on an urban emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The next Rugby World Cup will take place in England commencing August 2015. This paper describes the preparation and workload relating to the previous Rugby World Cup, held in New Zealand 2011, as it affected the primary receiving hospital for the main venue. This paper describes preparation arrangements and actual workload patterns to assist planners with future similar events.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preparations for the tournament were summarised, and data gathered from the Auckland City Hospital database were analysed for total and hourly presentation rates, short-stay observation workload, admission rate, 6-hour target compliance and type of presentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall workload during the tournament increased by 8%, but much larger spikes in attendances per hour and short-stay workload related to the major events were experienced. Alcohol-related presentations were very much more prominent than usual. Pre-arranged additional staffing and flow arrangements allowed the department to maintain 6-hour target compliance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major sporting events, such as the Rugby World Cup, require special arrangements to be put in place for the main local receiving Emergency Department, especially around the major events of a tournament.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gardener
authors.affiliation: Adult Emergency Department, South Glasgow University Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF, Scotland. trjparke@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parke
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005538:Football; D006752:Hospital Planning; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D055872:Surge Capacity; D013997:Time Factors; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*