Sample characteristics
| Qualitative interview participants (n=24) | |||
| Medicine for the elderly (n=8) | Maternity (n=8) | Elective surgery (n=8) | |
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Age group (years) | |||
| 20–29 | 2 (25) | ||
| 30–39 | 6 (75) | 1 (13) | |
| 40–49 | 1 (13) | ||
| 50–59 | |||
| 60–69 | 2 (25) | ||
| 70–79 | 2 (25) | ||
| 80–89 | 5 (63) | 2 (25) | |
| 90+ | 3 (38) | ||
| Ethnicity | |||
| Asian/British Asian | 1 (13) | 2 (25) | |
| Arab | 1 (13) | ||
| Black/African/Caribbean/black British | 1 (13) | 3 (38) | |
| Mixed ethnicity/multiple ethnic groups | |||
| White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, British, Irish, other white background | 7 (88) | 4 (50) | 5 (63) |
| Admission | |||
| Fall | 4 (50) | ||
| Pneumonia | 2 (25) | ||
| Nausea and vomiting | 1 (13) | ||
| Cardiac problem | 1 (13) | ||
| Spontaneous vaginal birth | 2 (25) | ||
| Elective caesarean section | 3 (38) | ||
| Emergency caesarean section | 3 (38) | ||
| Vascular surgery | 5 (63) | ||
| Colorectal surgery | 2 (25) | ||
| General surgery | 1 (13) | ||