Who uses the accident service?

Cards recording attendances at a large Accident and Emergency Department for 1 year were reviewed by means of a 1 in 76 random sample, which provided 1027 cards for scrutiny. Injuries were found in 79.9 per cent of attenders; 35.7 per cent underwent X-ray examination and 13.0 per cent were found to have a fracture. Males and those under 45 years had higher attendance rates than females and older people (46 years and over). Those in social classes IV and V had higher attendance rates than those in social classes I, II and III. Living near the hospital did not seem to be associated with a high attendance rate.