Table 2

Associations between call variables and conveyance to an ED

Conveyed to ED
N=403
Non-conveyance
N=1500
p Value
N (%)N (%)
Gender <0.001
 Female186 (17.3)857 (82.2)
 Male190 (24.9)572 (75.1)
Age 0.063
 0–5 years38 (23.6)123 (76.4)
 6–15 years9 (36.0)16 (64.0)
 16–30 years38 (27.5)100 (72.5)
 31–60 years82 (21.7)296 (78.3)
 61+ years236 (19.7)965 (80.4)
Age 75+ <0.001
 0–75 years262 (24.1)824 (75.9)
 75+ years141 (17.3)676 (82.7)
Chief complaint 0.022
 Cardio/cerebrovascular86 (24.7)262 (75.3)
 Respiratory problems72 (26.1)204 (73.9)
 Neurological problems37 (19.1)157 (80.9)
 Musculoskeletal problems51 (15.0)289 (85.0)
 Gastrointestinal problems40 (20.8)152 (79.2)
 General medical problems/other medical problems66 (19.1)280 (80.9)
 Mental health17 (27.9)44 (72.1)
 Trauma and injuries9 (22.5)31 (77.5)
 Other miscellaneous problems25 (33.6)81 (76.4)
Working day 0.144
 Monday35 (19.2)147 (80.8)
 Tuesday31 (26.7)85 (73.3)
 Wednesday42 (26.4)117 (73.6)
 Thursday30 (23.3)99 (76.7)
 Friday37 (24.5)114 (75.5)
 Saturday118 (20.9)446 (79.1)
 Sunday110 (18.3)492 (81.7)
Ambulance dispatch priority group 0.267
 Green176 (20.7)672 (79.3)
 Red218 (24.9)658 (75.1)
 Community-based services9 (5.1)169 (94.9)
Source of call <0.001
 Public394 (23.0)1330 (77.0)
 Community-based services9 (5.1)169 (94.9)
Type of GP input <0.001
 Face-to-face assessment195 (16.0)1026 (84.0)
 Telephone advice208 (30.1)474 (69.5)