Oxegen 2004: the impact of a major music festival on the workload of a local hospital.

This prospective observational study was undertaken to assess the impact of a major music festival on the workload of a local hospital. Data were collected on all attendances at Naas General Hospital from the nearby Oxegen 2004 music festival. Patient demographics, disposition and diagnoses were recorded. Emergency department activity levels were compared before, during and after the festival. Seventy-two attendees were referred to Naas emergency department over a 3-day period, representing a 45% increase in the hospital's emergency department attendance rate. Thirty-seven of these attendees (51%) required inpatient or tertiary centre services. Thirty-four attendees (47%) were noted as having consumed alcohol and/or used illicit substances. We conclude that despite the provision of on-site medical facilities, major music events are associated with a significant increase in local health care activity and expenditure.

A profile of attenders to a south Dublin city accident and emergency department.

All new patients attending a Dublin Hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department were surveyed to document their reasons for attending and to make comparisons between self-referred and GP referred groups. Of the 557 responders 395 (70.9%) were self-referred. Four-fifths of this group said they had a GP but only 6.6 per cent attempted to contact the GP before attending. Compared with GP referred patients the self-referred group were more likely to be under 45 (74.6 per cent v 59.8 per cent, P < 0.01) and have soft tissue injuries (57 per cent v 32.9 per cent, P < 0.01). They were less likely to require laboratory investigation or to be admitted to hospital (11 per cent v 31.2 per cent, P < 0.01). It is likely many of the self-referred patients could have been managed by a GP. However, A & E departments remain popular sources of treatment for patients with a wide variety of conditions. Current methods of delivering health care to patients with minor conditions require assessment so that patient demands for both a responsive minor injury and emergency service can be met. Almost 70 per cent of all hospital admissions originated from the A&E department. This makes rational planning and management of booked admissions difficult. GPs who refer patients for admission should have an alternative route to hospital beds besides the A&E department.