The ‘Major Trauma Adult Summary Report 2016’ has been published by the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA). The report has found that trauma services in Irish Hospitals need to be re-organised to ensure patients get the right treatment, at the right time, in the right hospital.
Of particular note is the finding that only 8% of trauma patients were met by a trauma team on arrival at hospital. Consequently the report also found that 28% of trauma patients were transferred to another hospital for ongoing care.
Dr Conor Deasy, Clinical Lead for Major Trauma Audit at the NOCA, said the report highlights the need for change, as patients with major trauma are not being assessed by trauma teams and senior clinicians on arrival to emergency departments.
Of particular note was the finding that road trauma was the most common cause of injury in younger age groups. This correlates with the high level personal injuries suffered by younger people in road traffic accidents.
The audit focuses on the care of the more severely injured patients in the health system, across 26 trauma receiving hospitals and the review involved more than 4,400 patients.
The most common ways patients were injured were:
51% had a fall of less than 2m
18% suffered road trauma
13% had a fall of greater than 2m.
The report also found that survival rates increase significantly where patients are treated properly when they arrive in hospital.
In the UK a Trauma Care Manual Code has been established as the definitive statement of best practice for trauma care. Reform of the trauma care services here may be assisted by the development of such a Code.
Healy O'Connor Solicitors. Personal Injury Department.
