The London Major Trauma system – established in 2010 – https://emergencylondon.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/londons-trauma-system/ – is a major advance in the way that acute services are delivered.
The four Major Trauma Centres in London are based at:
- The Royal London Hospital http://www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/our-services/services-a-z/t/trauma/
- King’s College London Hospital http://www.kch.nhs.uk/news/media/specialist-services and https://www.kch.nhs.uk/news/media/press-releases/view/17070
- St George’s Hospital https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/service/emergency/major-trauma-centre/
and
- St Mary’s Hospital http://www.imperial.nhs.uk/services/majortraumacentre/
More lives are now being saved, and with better initial outcomes, but not enough is being done to provide the services to re-build them. Rehabilitation services need to be linked directly into the new acute units, and rehabilitation should start seamlessly during the acute stage, to prevent complications and start to define the care pathway.
There is an essential need for good ‘navigation’ to other, follow-on services and in particular to the community part of the care pathway. Unless the necessary follow-on rehabilitation and support is provided, the benefits from the excellent rapid response and acute treatment provided will be severely compromised, both as regards long-term cost-effectiveness and the quality of life of the survivors, their families and carers.