What a shame that Mike McCabe's Injury surveillance programme running in A&E
departments around Swansea has been blocked by public health officials who
have decided it is unethical to share with others details of streets and
localities where childhood injuries are most likely to arise. This
information is available through their efficient data collection system, the
resources exist to improve the dwellings where these accidents occur but
never shall the two meet. Seemingly the director of public health has
blocked it on ethical grounds and interestingly he is supported by an
ethicist and a solicitor.
Surely injury prevention is part of our re-mit and therefore injury
surveillance an important tool. It would appear we should'nt bother....
(BMJ 1999;319:372-5 )
Dr John Ryan
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