Accident and Emergency Attendance Category is an indication of whether a patient is making a first or follow-up attendance at the Accident and Emergency Department.
New Attendance:
A new attendance is the first visit made by a patient to an Accident and Emergency Department for a particular injury or ailment. A new attendance can be the first in a series or one single attendance in an Accident and Emergency Department.
A patient returning to the Accident and Emergency Department with a condition previously treated where they have not been asked to return by the clinician will be counted as a new attendance.
Follow-up Attendance:
A follow up Accident and Emergency Attendance is a subsequent planned attendance at the same department, and for the same incident as the first attendance. A planned follow-up attendance is agreed or requested by a clinician.
Please note: This definition of an Accident and Emergency Category applies to SITREPS only and differs from that used for QS1 reporting.