National Audit Office report 05 February 2010
National Audit Office report 05 February 2010
The British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) has campaigned for the last thirty three years for better care of trauma patients. BASICS welcomes the National Audit Office report for focussing both the minds of the public and Government on this very important issue.
Dr Peter Holden of BASICS said “There are four major phases of care for any trauma victim,
1. The Pre-hospital phase involving resuscitation and treatment at scene and en route to hospital
2. Further resuscitation and patient assessment in the Emergency Medicine (Accident & Emergency) Department
3. Definitive treatment in hospital
4. Rehabilitation and post hospital discharge care
Although there have been substantial improvements in trauma care over the last 20 years, it is nevertheless true that civilian management of trauma lags behind that provided by the military.”
BASICS has focused on the first phase of care, training thousands of doctors, including those in the military, nurses and paramedics worldwide in the recognition and management of serious injury during the PreHospital phase. Since 1977 BASICS members have responded on a voluntary and charitable basis to road accidents and other scenes of trauma at the request of the Ambulance Service to provide advanced skills beyond those in the standard paramedic repertoire.
In order that the full benefits of concentration of expertise in regional trauma centres are realised, it will be necessary for an enhanced level of clinical expertise to be available to the patient on the longer journey to a trauma centre. Full resuscitation skills and pre-hospital critical care capabilities will increasingly be required to treat the patent whilst en route.
Comparisons with America must be taken in context. “There is a different pattern of trauma in the States and whilst we should learn from good practice worldwide, comparing something as broad as overall mortality rates in simply invalid.”
BASICS is also concerned about concentrating all the expertise in a few locations as this could limit the flexibility of the trauma system to expand for a major incident or catastrophe. To maintain professional skill levels it is essential that emergency physicians working in non trauma centres retain the opportunity to rotate through the trauma centres on a regular basis.
Note to editors BASICS - The British Association for Immediate Care is a medical charity providing training and support to health care professionals in the specialized field of pre-hospital environment.
BASICS Communications Director Dr Peter Holden 07802 305335