A Centre for Major Trauma
Derriford Hospital is the Peninsula Trauma Centre, working within the Peninsula Trauma Network.
Our hospital was designated as the Peninsula Trauma Centre at the beginning of April 2012, when a new region-wide system in the South West went live.
This system consists of two trauma care networks, each with a major trauma centre at the heart of the network and supported by the ambulance and air ambulances services, trauma units, local acute hospitals, specialist rehabilitation and many other associated healthcare professionals working in various settings. This system was set up with the aim that it will save several lives per year in the west country alone.
The Peninsula trauma system is in place to provide high quality care for local people who have suffered the most severe, life-threatening injuries.
The two adult major trauma centres in the west country are the Peninsula Trauma Centre at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. The children’s major trauma centre will be at the Frenchay Hospital, although life saving facilities for children are available at Derriford Hospital and throughout the region.
Benefits
Dr Elfyn Thomas, Clinical Lead for Major Trauma and Consultant In Intensive Care Medicine at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust said: “One of the biggest benefits of this new system is that severely injured patients will, wherever possible, be transferred directly to the major trauma centre for care, as we have everything they need all on our site, including trauma specialists, neurosurgery, cardiothoracics, neurology and radiology.
“By becoming the major trauma centre, we can work with our colleagues throughout the peninsula to ensure that all trauma patients receive the highest quality care, which can often make the difference between life and death.”
Top Performing
Dr Iain Grant, Network Lead for Major Trauma, added: “Independent data from the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) shows that Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is currently one of the top 10 performing major trauma centres in England. For every 100 severely injured patients, an extra two and a half will survive in Devon and Cornwall because of the expertise and facilities available. Derriford Hospital and the local Commissioners are currently looking at various schemes to enhance trauma care within both the Trust and the Network.”
It is a national requirement, in the NHS Operating Framework in England 2011/12, that all regions should be moving trauma service provision into regional trauma systems to enable significant improvements in the clinical outcomes for major trauma patients to be made.