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The NHS in England has saved an additional 1,600 patients with severe injuries since major trauma centres were established in 2012.
New findings show the creation of major traumas centres has led to the survival of more than 1,600 patients who have suffered some of the most severe and complicated injuries thanks to top teams of surgeons, doctors and clinical staff. Patients also spent fewer days in hospital and had improved quality of life after receiving critical care.
Research into the outcomes of more than 110,000 patients admitted to 35 hospitals between 2008 and 2017 represents an increase of nearly a fifth in the odds of survival from severe injury in the five years from 2012.
The findings endorse the shake-up of NHS trauma care in 2012 with seriously injured patients sent direct to newly designated major trauma centres, bypassing smaller, local hospitals that offered less specialist care.
The independent report, which features in the latest issue of EClinicalMedicine, has been compiled by the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) based at the University of Manchester supported by experts at the Universities of Leicester and Sheffield.
Changes to trauma care are “saving hundreds of lives every year.”
Professor Keith Willett, NHS England’s Medical Director for Acute Care, who led the changes in 2012 and now leads the wider NHS urgent and emergency care review, said: “We have made major advances in urgent care over the last five years as this study demonstrates. As the NHS develops its ten year plan, the success of major trauma centres will help inform how we deliver better care for patients through the use of specialist clinical networks.”
Professor Chris Moran, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Trauma Care, said:”This study shows that changes to trauma care, designed by clinicians, are saving hundreds of lives every year. Patients suffering severe injury need to get to the right specialist centre staffed by experts, not simply the nearest hospital. Thanks to the skills of NHS staff, we are confident that we will continue to see further increases in survival rates for this group of patients.”
The study states that its analysis shows the whole system change to major trauma centres can be ‘associated with significant improvements in care and outcomes for patients with severe injury’.
A 2007 report ‘Trauma, who cares?’ identified serious failings across England and since its inception 70 years ago the NHS had based emergency care on ambulances taking patients to the nearest A&E, irrespective of the hospital’s capability to provide resuscitation and the care needed.
The Trauma Audit and Research Network had also identified great variation in the standard of care across the country and other studies showed England’s trauma care did not meet the standards of other countries, with almost 60% of major trauma patients receiving care that was less than good practice and avoidable deaths still occurring. This led the NAO to recommend the setting up of regional trauma networks.
The NHS reorganisation created 27 designated Major Trauma Centres, with the London network launched in April 2010 and networks across the rest of the country operating since April 2012.