A simple technique for assessing inpatient resource requirements is presented. Using this technique the demands on various hospital services, made by different patient groups, can be compared. Two hundred admissions to an acute accident unit were analyzed and we found that domestic injuries made the greatest demands on nursing and institutional care aspects of the service, by virtue of their frequency and severity. Analysis of road accidents identified the motorcyclist as the largest consumer of resources on an individual basis. Finally, a small but peculiarly demanding group has been identified which consists of patients injured while in hospital.