Ambulance service training team launches new trauma training programme
A new specialist training programme is being delivered by North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to ensure patients who sustain traumatic injuries in the region are getting to the right place for their care.
The new 12-month programme has been funded by the Northern Trauma Network and has been designed by Gary Shaw, a research paramedic at NEAS who specialises in trauma and will be delivering the training.
Trauma is the leading cause of death in people under 45 the UK – responsible for around 3,000 fatalities and 8,000 severe disabilities every year. In the North East, ambulance crews see approximately 800 people with major trauma and 1,100 with serious trauma cases every year, transporting them to one of two major trauma centres – James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough or the Royal Victoria Infirmary – or trauma units at local hospitals across the region.
To work out where best to take their patient, ambulance crews follow a major trauma bypass tool (MTBT), which was recently updated following a national study to standardise the process across England.
Examples of incidents where trauma could be sustained are road traffic collisions, fires and stabbings.
The new training programme aims has been designed with the new protocol in mind, with the aim of updating NEAS and third party ambulance crews on the changes as well as educating external partners, such as police and fire service colleagues who might work alongside ambulance crews at an incident where the major trauma protocol is used.
Lee Thompson, consultant paramedic for clinical development at NEAS, said: “Although trauma only makes up 0.8 percent of all the incidents our crews attend, the nature of the injuries means our decision making on scene can make a real difference to their eventual outcome.
“Ultimately, this is all about getting our patients to the best care for their needs and saving as many lives as possible. NEAS has historically been the best performing ambulance service for trauma and we want to stay that way.
“This new training programme has been designed by one of our research paramedics who specialises in trauma with support from our educational and research teams and our partners in the Northern Trauma Network, and we’re really proud to be delivering it.”
Karen Portas is the network manager for the Northern Trauma Network, a group of hospitals, emergency services and rehabilitation services who all work together to make sure a patient receives the best care for life-threatening or life-changing injuries.
She said: We are pleased to be able to support a trauma training programme for all pre-hospital colleagues working in the NEAS area. The care of trauma patients begins with the pre-hospital teams and it is important that they have access to regular training to recognise and treat a patient's injuries giving them the best possible start on their journey to recovery. Supporting this training programme brings the pre-hospital training programme into line with the trauma training delivered for in hospital colleagues.