Channel 4 documentary gives unique insight into London's major trauma network
Staff from the Trust’s major trauma pathway and emergency department will feature in a brand new Channel 4 documentary series, which will follow the work of London’s major trauma network.
Broadcasting over four consecutive nights from Monday 28 February until Thursday 3 March at 9pm, Channel 4 will tell the story of London’s major trauma centres, trauma units and air ambulance after being embedded with the teams for two weeks during the summer of 2021.
London’s major trauma network was the first network of its kind, launched in 2010 and developed in response to continued poor outcomes for trauma patients in the UK compared to other countries in Europe, the US and Australia.
Since its inception, survival rates for those with major trauma have more than doubled and the network has also helped to improve outcomes for patients through the care they receive, both to treat the injuries and rehabilitate them to return to their lives.
Bella Stretton, senior staff nurse in St Mary’s emergency department, who features in the documentary said: “The most rewarding thing is when you feel like you've 'fixed' a patient. In the emergency department, you’ve never completely ‘fixed’ anyone, but when we manage to stabilise them and you can see you've done something to improve their chance of survival, that’s amazing.”
The major trauma network in London has been a vital part of the response to incidents such as the Grenfell disaster and the London Bridge and Westminster Bridge attacks, as well as part of the preparation for major events such as the London 2012 Olympics.
The documentary will tell the stories of patients brought to St Mary’s hospital with major injuries and the staff who saved their lives, providing a unique insight into the day to day running of the major trauma centre and its collaboration with trauma centres, trauma units and ambulance services across the capital.
Mr Shehan Hetteriatchy, trauma director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “The whole point of the major trauma system is not just to save people's lives, it is to get them back to the life they would have had if they not been injured. From the moment they are injured to the moment they go back into their life, it's a continuous pathway with critical parts of the team across London’s network delivering important bits of care throughout."
Watch the documentary at 9pm on Channel 4 on Monday 28 February and Tuesday 1, Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 March or catch up on All 4.
