Table 2 Characteristics of those conveyed directly to ED and those referred to GP (subsample)

 Conveyed directly to ED (n, %)

137 (100%)

–

–

 Presented at ED within 30 days of ambulance call (n, %)

–

32 (22.4%)

–

 Admitted (n, %)

43 (31.4%)

19 (13.3%; 59.4%) ^a

–^b

Patients admitted to ED

n = 43

n = 19

 Long term illness (n, %)

5 (3.6%)

6 (4.2%; 18.8%) ^a

< 0.005

 Previous ED attendances (mean ± SD)

11.4 ± 29.3

11.9 ± 21.6

0.92

 Length of stay (mean ± SD)

8.3 ± 16.0

7.4 ± 9.3

0.81

 Number of hospital investigations (mean ± SD)

4.7 ± 1.8

4.8 ± 1.4

0.59

 Number of internal transfers (mean ± SD)

2.0 ± 0.9

2.40 ± 1.1

0.31

 30-day re-admission (n, %)

8 (18.6%)

5 (26.3%)

0.49

 10-month mortality (n,%)

16 (11.7%)

9 (6.3%; 28.1%)^a

–^a