The Ambulance Service Nework and NHS Confederation Policy team hosted the trauma and transfers workshop on 15 September at BMA House, London.
During this workshop, delegates were involved in discussions to identify the key design principles that underpin the system for patients with need of trauma transfers.
The event brought together experts from across the emergency care pathway, including senior clinicians, managers, researchers and academics.
The design of high quality trauma and transfer services is complex and will vary between areas with different population densities, transport infrastructure and hospital facilities. There are important judgements to be made about service configurations, investments in new facilities and protocols for bypassing and transferring patients.
Presentations
Workshop delegates were presented with case studies exploring the reality of these trauma services, together with new data from research.
Please view the presentations made by our facilitators;
Re-organisation of trauma care by Prof Jon Nicholls, Director of the Medical Care Research Unit, University of Sheffield
What is currently happening in the transfers of the critically ill? by Kathy Rowan, Director, Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre
High quality trauma care: What is happening nationally, by Dr Fiona Lecky, Research Director, Trauma Audit and Research Network
Follow up
The findings from the workshop were presented at the ASN national conference Emergency and urgent Care: Today and Tomorrow on 13 October and also documented in a briefing for the NHS, to be published in November 2009.
If you would like to discuss any of the information presented at the workshop then please contact joe.farrington-douglas@nhsconfed.org or lizkendall@nhsconfed.org.