Handling on-calls in Neurosurgery - Lessons learnt from the maintenance of an on-call referrals database

An abstract of a study by Mukerji et al that identifies areas where the workload can be reduced in neurosurgical unit is presented. Analysis of activity revealed a peak of referrals at 1700 hrs. The maximum referrals were found between 1300 and 1900 hrs. The major number of out of hours referrals were from the departments of medicine and A&E in the parent hospital. The number of referrals had no specific association with the day of the week but had peaks in months when new medical staff joined. The major diagnosis for out of hours referrals were sub-arachnoid hemorrhage, intra-cranial space occupying lesion, intra-cerebral haematomas, and shunt related problems.