Is the emergency (999) service being misused? retrospective analysis

The number of emergency admissions to hospitals in the United Kingdom has increased for reasons that are not fully understood. The increase can be traced back to the early 1980s and is not simply the result of organisational changes in the NHS.1 The ageing population is not the principal factor as demographic changes between 1981 and 1994 account for only 5.6% of the total increase in emergency admissions, and the increase has occurred in all age groups. More important is the increase in the proportion of patients admitted several times over a five year period: this number rose by 92% between 1981–5 and 1990-4.1 Other causes cited for the increase in emergency admissions include higher patient expectations and a rise in referrals from general practitioners.2 …