Pain relief in accident and emergency?

A recent audit on fractured neck of femurs in our department highlighted our poor pain management. While I was undertaking a PS II module on 'Understanding and Managing Pain' there was an abundance of literature on pain management in other specialties but I was disappointed at the lack of literature on pain management pertaining to Accident and Emergency (A & E). This made me more aware of the low priority that pain management is given in A & E. This paper looks at the pain management of two different patients in my department and how staff's perception of their pain affected their subsequent management. The response from both medical and nursing staff at improving pain management has been favourable but everybody realises that it will be a gradual process--it can't happen overnight.