Casualty comes from the word casual attender i.e. someone who could go
to hospital without a GP referral. Accident and Emergency came in over
40 years ago (Standing Medical Advisory Committee, 1962) to discourage
such casual attenders........some hope!
julie
In message <001e01c143a2$a13d5a00$30707ad5@afogarty>, Adrian Fogarty
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>I agree with much of what you're saying Rowley, but I'm waiting for our
>association to take the lead when it comes to a name change, and even then
>we have to seek approval from the Department (upper case letter d
>intended!).
>
>An academic point now; the term "casualty" used to connote images of the
>seriously wounded, usually in a military conflict. Can anyone explain why
>its use has become so unfashionable, to the point that many now view it as a
>pejorative term? Any linguists/etymologists out there?
>
>Adrian Fogarty
>
>P.S. Perhaps when the current global military "situation" escalates, the
>term "casualty" might regain some of its lost glory...
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Rowley Cottingham" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2001 6:12 AM
>Subject: Re: casualty in BMJ
>
>
>> I still recommend Emergency Unit. This has several positive effects. As
>David Yates
>> explains, dropping the word 'accident' has a lot of useful benefits.
>Firstly, it assists with
>> injury prevention. If you say that something is an accident, you imply
>that it could not be
>> prevented as it was an unforeseeable and impossible to plan for event. We
>know that is far
>> from the truth; as Richard Blakey says, he has attended over 400 car
>crashes and not one
>> was an accident. Secondly, it focuses the staff on their core business.
>Our job is to deal
>> with the emergency - if you like, the first 48 hours after injury/illness.
>Thirdly, it allows us
>> to educate the public - you may have banged your hand on that wall
>accidentally, chum,
>> but that was 6 months ago. Seek alternative avenues for care.
>>
>> The choice of the second word is as important. One of the most important
>aspects of
>> modern emergency care delivery is that it is performed by a motivated and
>professional
>> team with good skills resulting from training. You can dismiss Emergency
>Rooms (too
>> impersonal, and too hackneyed thanks to TV) and I dislike the word
>department, as it
>> makes people feel like a small and insignificant (even worthless) cog in a
>large amorphous
>> hospital. The word unit immediately sends a different message; the word
>circumscribes the
>> group and tends to knit them better together. It allows them to feel that
>everybody within
>> it is dedicated to the same aim. This might sound a bit pious and even
>corny, but it does
>> work.
>>
>> We changed over 6 months ago, and it has had a remarkable effect - even
>staff who used
>> to answer the phone as "casualty" (yes really) finally got out of the
>habit and used the
>> new expression. Oddly enough, the punters understand better, too. Often,
>if you answered
>> the phone, "Accident and Emergency" there would be a short pause, and they
>would ask
>> if they were through to casualty. That no longer happens either.
>>
>> Can I recommend that it becomes the official term?
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>>
>> Rowley Cottingham
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>> http://www.emergencyunit.com
--
julie hassell
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