UHP consultant wins multiple awards for road traffic collision research project
Professor Tim Nutbeam, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), and his team have won two awards for their research project, Extrication in Trauma (EXIT).
Tim founded the EXIT project, which was funded by the Road Safety Trust, alongside his colleague Rob Fenwick, a Consultant Nurse at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, back in 2007 to conduct research in the field of post collision response. The project explored the impact of different emergency response processes on the outcomes of motor vehicle collisions with the aim to improve the care of patients and reduce worldwide death and disability.
Motor vehicle collisions are the second most common cause of major trauma in the UK. Worldwide, they are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 1.35 million deaths each year. Patients who remain within their vehicle following an incident and cannot leave without assistance are considered to be ‘trapped’.
Tim and his team worked alongside firefighters, fire services, methodologists, experts in biomechanics, automotive engineers, medics, air ambulance teams, charities, public and statutory bodies and statisticians, to carrying out research into the extrication of patients and thanks to their collaborative effort, found that current practice was not optimal.
Following the project, which consisted of a series of nine studies on road safety, the team found that self-extrication should be delivered where possible to minimise the time patients remain trapped. This recommendation has now been implemented into various national guidance and has led to changes in practice that have a direct impact in improving patient outcomes.
Due to this success, the project has won a number of awards including the TARN Improvement in Trauma Care Award and the Prince Michael International Award for Road Safety. Tim has also been awarded the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care Medal for 2022 which recognises exceptional people who have delivered fundamental change within the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care.
Speaking about the Prince Michael award Tim said: “We are extremely grateful to have been recognised for this prestigious award as it provides us with further opportunity to spread the message about our research. It adds the missing piece to our jigsaw to improve patient outcomes and saves lives both in the UK and internationally.”
You can read more about Tim’s research here:
