|
||
| John Hunter Emergency Department Guidelines | ||
| Home | Trauma staff | Education | Trauma Statistics | Vacancies |
| A System for Trauma Care was first proposed in NSW in 1988. The proposal incorporated a three level system of acute hospitals providing care for the injured. It recommended an administrative structure at hospital level with designated clinical leaders, trauma service directors supported by trauma committees, and clinical review based on data collection. It recommended trauma education, both public education and providing training in trauma management to health providers. | |
In the NSW State Trauma Plan 1991, the recommendations for the 1988 proposal were implemented and a system of pre hospital trauma triage was introduced. Area Health Service based, Trauma Services were established with numerous levels of trauma hospital identified, level I being the highest . Prior to the opening of the John Hunter / John Hunter Children’s Hospital in 1991 trauma care for patients in the Hunter Area was provided by numerous hospitals. The Royal Newcastle Hospital was primarily the adult major trauma hospital and the Mater Misericordiae provided care for paediatric trauma patients. These hospitals were supported by local hospitals (Belmont, Maitland, Cessnock, Kurri and Wallsend) who provided initial trauma care. In 1991 the John Hunter Hospital opened and was designated as the Major Trauma Centre for both adult and paediatrics. Subsequently this led to scaling down of trauma services both at Wallsend and the Royal Newcastle Hospital. Mater, Belmont, Maitland, Kurri and Cessnock remain for minor trauma. With the recent amalgamation of Area Health Services in 2005 the Hunter New England Area Health Service now has numerous hospitals providing initial treatment for trauma patients (HNEAHS Hospitals). The John Hunter Hospital is also supported by 3 regional Hospitals (Manning Base, Armidale and Tamworth) providing definitive care for seriously injured patients |
|
What is a Major Trauma Service? It is a Tertiary care facility, providing all clinical specialties including Acute Neurosurgical, Acute Cardio-thoracic and Trauma Rehabilitation services. Full Diagnostic Services, both interventional and non-interventional, are a requirement. Seriously injured patients who require intensive coordinated and integrated clinical management will form the pivotal group for treatment within the Major Trauma Service. The process of demonstrated consultation, leadership, research and education binds a Major Trauma Service to its Network, together with an integrated, prospective Performance Improvement Program, which supports excellence in clinical management. This is known as a comprehensive Injury Management Program. A Major Trauma Service is responsible for the support and coordination of the Injury Management Program within Metropolitan Regional, Urban, Rural Regional and Rural Trauma Services, within its’ designated Trauma Networks. | |
