'Inappropriate attended' in A&E

With the current emphasis on reducing patient waiting times, accident and emergency nurses may be tempted to close the doors on what they consider to be 'inappropriate attendees'. The author warns that public perceptions of A &E are often at odds with the nurses view, and that all patients should have access to accident and emergency services. This article takes a critical look at triage since its inception as a means of assessing wounded soldiers during the first world war. He explores patient assessment in accident and emergency departments and nurses' attitudes to- wards the 'inappropriate attended, highlighting the need for caution when dealing with enquiries from the general public.