Abstract

In a one year prospective study, 19% of 925 adult medical admissions to a district general hospital (the Downe Hospital, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland) were due primarily to a neurological complaint. A further 19 cases had an active neurological disorder which contributed to their hospital admission. Most were acute admissions via the General Practitioner or through the Accident and Emergency Department, a situation different from the practice of most regional neurological centres. Only 15 patients (8% of the neurological cases) were referred to a specialist centre.