Casualty casesHenry Guly is investigating the history of medical staffing of accident and emergency (A&E) departments. |
In 1972, 30 A&E consultants were appointed as an experiment," says Henry Guly, A&E Consultant at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. "They were considered a great success and now there are over 400 such consultants in England and Wales with 800 likely by 2007!"
Medical staffing in A&E departments is the focus for Dr Guly’s research project, which spans four decades of A&E medicine – from the 1960s to the present day. "The Platt Report in 1962 recommended orthopaedic surgeons supervise A&E departments," he explains, "but since then A&E medicine has developed and its emphasis has changed from a surgically orientated speciality – heavily involved with trauma – towards medicine concentrating on resuscitation and medical emergencies, such as myocardial infarctions." As the need for A&E consultants increased, a training programme for senior registrars was introduced in 1977. "I was one of the first senior registrars to be appointed in 1980," he says. From his personal experience and from terms served on various A&E executive boards, he has compiled valuable references and contacts for this project.
The history of A&E clearly has great potential to cover many related topics, including the hot political issues of NHS funding, the Patient’s Charter, junior doctors’ hours and the closure of smaller A&E departments, which Dr Guly will have time only to touch upon. But there are matters that warrant deeper analysis, for example, the evolving relationship with the ambulance service where medical flying squads now attend major accidents. There are also aspects of this study that may, he suggests, "encourage people to investigate further historical studies on, say, nurse practitioners in A&E, falling numbers of road accident casualties linked to the UK seatbelt laws, or the improvements in technology and work practice."
During the fellowship, Dr Guly will be affiliated to the Department of Medical History at the University of Exeter.
See also
- Short-term History of Medicine Fellowships for Clinicians and Scientists: Scheme details
- Indian psycho: Research on the portrayal of mental illness in Hindi cinema.
- Research from a black cab: Article describing (history of medicine fellowship) studies of social and healthcare policy on homelessness
External links
- Dr Mark Jackson at the University of Exeter