Patients’ views of their A&E experience

The concluding article in this series will explore the patients' perspective of their A&E experience through the use of evaluative questionnaires. Developments in quality assurance and the impetus from the Patient's Charter have led to staff being more concerned with patients' evaluation of their experiences, and A&E is no exception. The study revealed that patients are poor predictors of their treatment but the majority are satisfied with their experience. A smaller study of patients who walked out before treatment showed that a third did not seek subsequent help. The author argues that the study supports the need for nurse triage and nurse practitioners.