IT’S the £5m plan that will save lives, transform the care of critically ill patients – and put Southampton under the spotlight as one of the finest medical centres in the country.
In just under 12 months time, the city’s general hospital will be at the epicentre of a new regionalised way of providing care for the most seriously injured in the south when it becomes fully operational as a Major Trauma Centre (MTC).
Health bosses and leading medics will today gather for the launch of the Wessex Trauma Network which will transform the care of people with serious spinal and brain injuries to life-threatening head or chest wounds.
Health chiefs behind the plan – estimated to be costing somewhere between £3m and £5m – say it will safeguard jobs at Southampton University Hospital Trust (SUHT) and also attract some of the country’s finest medics to work here.
Under the plan the hospital must meet a long list of criteria to ensure it is capable of providing the service – from employing enough consultants to give 24 hour care, to providing all the specialist services needed to treat a patient under one roof.
Already major changes are planned at the Tremona Road site, including: l Work on a new £1.2m helipad, to go on the roof of the car park, gets underway next month and will be up and running by the end of summer l A new resuscitation department that will provide up to ten beds, compared to the current three available. Plans have already been drawn up.
l Discussions underway to begin offering plastic surgery in Southampton l Building work begins in April to move new CT scanner close to emergency department to enable scans to be done quicker l Additional ward will be opened to cater for more trauma patients l More paediatric neurosurgeons to be employed in the city l New car park to be opened for patients and staff moved off site in park and ride scheme Becoming a MTC is likely to see some 700 trauma patients brought to the city hospital direct from the scene of an accident or severe injury if they are under 45 minutes away. If they are further afield, they will receive rapid treatment at their local emergency department before being swiftly moved on to Southampton for the rest of their specialist care.
Ten hospitals across the region, as well as four ambulance services, will all be affected under the new plan but bosses vow it will not come with any threat to jobs or reduction in service.
Dr Andy Eynon, director of major trauma at SUHT, said: “There will be no downgrading of other hospitals or deskilling of anybody as they will still have to be able to receive major trauma patients and deal with them.
“None of this will fundamentally change any of the other hospitals. This is about shining the spotlight on trauma – it’s all about what’s best for the patient.
“The aim is to streamline the process so that patients can get to a hospital where they can get all the care they need, but quicker.”
Dr Eynon added: “Everybody is worried about jobs, but this, to an extent, provides security to those working at Southampton. Because of the mandatory requirements we will be under the spotlight, but it does help to secure jobs and also attract new people in who want to be a part of what we are doing.”
Todays conference will take place at the ARK conference centre at Basingstoke Hospital and will be attended by 120 invited guests.
Speakers will include Keith Willett, national clinical director of trauma care, and Fionna Moore, London trauma network medical director.
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