<p>Accident and emergency units are one of the key interfaces between patients and the health service. In addition, A&E units have to accommodate a diverse range of activity and face a considerable amount of uncertainty as to the demands that will be put upon them at any one time. They are therefore a logical place to begin to explore the perceptions of increased pressures on the whole of the NHS.</p>
<p>Of the 291 A&E departments in the United Kingdom, 121 (41.6 per cent) report to provide an A&E flying squad (1). A number of these teams have established a national reputation, while in other areas a flying squad is a purely hypothetical concept. Between these two extremes arc a number of teams with variable operational experience and suboptimal preparation for this role.</p>
