As many as 80 Ayrshire major trauma patients per year will have to make a 40 mile journey to Glasgow, according to new health board changes to the delivery of trauma services.
From August 30, The Scottish Trauma Network and the NHS have changed how they deliver trauma and orthopaedic services.
A national plan will see the creation of four Major Trauma Centres (MTC) to cover the North, East, South East and West of Scotland, with the West of Scotland’s Major Trauma Centre located in Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), opening late Summer this year.
This centre will treat around 80 major trauma patients from Ayrshire and Arran each year.
As part of the implementation of the Scottish Trauma Network, NHS Ayrshire & Arran will establish a dedicated trauma unit in University Hospital Crosshouse.
And a National Treatment Centre for inpatient elective care, supported by investment from Scottish Government, will be created at University Hospital Ayr.
Ayrshire patients will return to local hospitals for rehabilitation, following major trauma, and will benefit from investment in the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre.
The health board said these changes and the concentration of major trauma and trauma cases in the Major Trauma Centres and Trauma Units will “ensure equity of access to those specialist services for trauma patients.”
But South Scotland Conservative MSP Sharon Dowey has raised concerns regarding the number of Ayrshire major trauma patients having to make the trip to Glasgow.
She said: “While I welcome the establishment of major trauma centres across Scotland, I’m concerned that as many as 80 patients will not be treated in Ayrshire and moved to Glasgow instead.
“Anyone who lives in South or East Ayrshire knows journey times to Glasgow can stretch into hours, particularly at busy times like Friday evenings.
“Roads, particularly in rural areas, can be challenging to drive at the best of times, let alone during an emergency so I’m not sure adding extra travelling time to patients’ journeys is the way forward.
“That’s even before you consider the journeys their friends and families will have to make.
“Crosshouse is far enough away as it is, let alone Glasgow so it baffles me that they’ve not created more treatment capacity locally.
“After all, the south east of Scotland gets its own centre, so why not the south west?”
Joanne Edwards, director of Acute Services, said the changes are about making sure the NHS “provide the right care in the right place” and that by standardising care for trauma patients, “more will survive major trauma”.
She said: “We want to make sure we have the best emergency and planned orthopaedic inpatient services, providing the best outcomes for everyone living in Ayrshire and Arran.
“We know that by standardising care for trauma patients and through reducing additional transfers of injured patients there can be improved outcomes for patients and more will survive major trauma.
“Trauma patients will receive the best possible care from specialised teams providing emergency access to consultant-led care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“And for our inpatient elective services, we will be able to provide safe, sustainable, effective and efficient patient centred service from one location.
“Improved theatre capacity will mean that we can increase the number of joint replacements within Ayrshire and Arran each year. Planned surgery is less likely to be cancelled due to major trauma cases disrupting routine work.
“This new and improved approach to trauma and orthopaedic services will ensure that patients requiring trauma and orthopaedic services receive the right care in the right place.”
For more information on the changes to trauma and orthopaedic services, visit: www.nhsaaa.net/trauma
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