HP160 - ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY ATTENDANCES.

1. This diagram shows the classes relevant to PATIENTS attending an ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

2. An attendance by a PATIENT at an ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT is shown as an ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY ATTENDANCE within an ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY EPISODE. This is specifically for PATIENTS requiring an accident and emergency service. An ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT may be used for other activities. These include:
   - holding out-patient clinics
   - minor surgery in an associated OPERATING THEATRE
   - routine observation of patients.
   These activities are covered in diagrams HP020, HP180 and HP070 respectively.

3. An ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT may also be used as the admission point for admissions which have LODGED PATIENT, who may or may not have had an ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY EPISODE, occupy space and may require nursing attention while they are under the temporary care of the ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

4. An ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY EPISODE may be the result of a referral from a GENERAL PRACTITIONER and may lead to a DECISION TO ADMIT (see HP050).

5. A+E TIME SEEN FOR TREATMENT, used to calculate delay between assessment and treatment, need only be recorded on a sampling basis to be determined locally.

6. During an ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY ATTENDANCE investigations may be carried out, diagnoses made and treatments given. These are described by A+E PATIENT INVESTIGATION, A+E PATIENT DIAGNOSIS and A+E PATIENT TREATMENT.