An audit of case-load and work-load in a regional plastic surgery unit using intermediate equivalents: a one-year study.

Until March 1992, when it was transferred to St John's Hospital, Livingston, the Regional Plastic Surgery Service for Adults in the Lothians was based at Bangour, West Lothian. Plastic surgery for children continues to be provided by the same staff but at the Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh. With increasing interest in improving efficiency of care and audits several ways in which assessments can be done have been suggested. Case numbers alone may give a totally misleading impression of the amount and type of operative work carried out. By combining numbers with intermediate equivalent estimation a useful audit can be obtained.