ABSTRACT
The study of the BBC Casualty programme (discussed in chapter 6) had a second dimension. This was to analyse audience responses to another story line in the same episode, which involved a minor head injury. One rationale for this part of the study was to investigate an apparent actual ‘real-life’ increase in the use of Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments for condi tions which did not require emergency treatment. This increase in what is seen as inappropriate attendance by health researchers has been consistent over several years (Butler, 1994 and Milner, 1988).
