One of the hallmarks of emergency departments is the unpredictable nature of the throughput. Accidents, in particular, are relatively unforeseeable although certain types do tend to cluster. Cuts with knives seem to congregate around mealtimes (for obvious reasons) and minor traffic-related injuries have an obviously predictable flurry at rush hour. I recall analysing the data from [...]

I have long come to the conclusion that the vast majority of accidents that present to emergency departments are entirely predictable. They are not “accidents” in the sense of a genuinely unforeseeable set of circumstances, but consequences of stupidity. The element of stupidity is not necessarily the victim’s, of course. Often the “accident” is not [...]

Politicians kill children. That appears to be the message of the latest report from the Children’s Commission. Consider it Cindy Kiro’s parting gift.
Kiwi kids are dying in accidents and from abuse and Third World diseases due to political apathy, doctors and child welfare experts say.
Not sure about the “Third World diseases” bit. It is my experience that [...]