Author Description

Trauma is the main cause of death in the first four decades of life and a leading cause of disability. Following a series of high-profile reports it is recognised that, while emergency care has improved, treatment for victims of major injury could be improved and coordinating trauma services is now a priority for the NHS. There is significant variation in outcomes across the system. Better organisation of care could ensure consistently higher standards of care. Evidence suggests that introducing trauma systems can reduce mortality rates by around 10 per cent, more efficiently use the £300-400m spending on emergency care for major injuries and contribute to reducing the estimated £3.3bn - £3.7bn annual economic cost of trauma. The new coalition Government has confirmed that trauma systems should be developed by March 2011, and implemented the following year. This report highlights the key questions that regional commissioners and trauma care providers (ambulance services, hospitals, an...