The Summerland Disaster.

The reception, admission, and subsequent management of casualties from the Summerland fire are described. A senior member ofthe staff assessed priorities and direceted casualties to different prearranged teams, and a nurse was allocated to each patient to aid continuity of treatment and documentation. Though regular revision and discussion of major accident procedures with all members of the hospital staff and co-ordination with other rescue workers is helpful expensive rehearsals are of limited value in a civilian incident.