The use of NHS accident and emergency services by commercial sea fishermen in the North East of Scotland.

Background: Commercial sea fishing is known to be a hazardous occupation, but little quantitative research has been conducted in the UK.

Objective: To describe the demography of commercial fishermen accessing NHS accident and emergency (A&E) services and profile the reasons for attendance.

Methods: Eight NHS A&E departments in North East Scotland participated in the audit. A structured data collection form was completed by the attending nurse or doctor during a 6 month period (March-August). All commercial sea fishermen attending during this time were included whether or not the reason for attendance was work-related.

Results: There were 164 cases of which 133 (81%) presented with injuries and 19 (12%) with illnesses (12 unknown). Twenty-seven (16%) cases had required emergency evacuation from commercial vessels. The most frequent category of injury was 'hand', 'wrist' or 'finger' followed by 'head', 'face' and 'throat'.

Conclusion: Commercial sea fishing is a dangerous occupation with many injuries requiring NHS A&E treatment. The relatively high level of injuries compared to illness indicates that there are still safety issues to be addressed and current risk assessment requirements need to be reviewed.