Major trauma centre

Critically injured patients are now receiving life-saving treatment at the Trust’s new major trauma centre.

The centre, which boasts a state-of-the-art theatre with black box technology and a 16-bed major trauma ward, will treat up to 500 patients a year.

Based in St Mary’s Hospital, the 24-hour consultant-led centre is the fourth of its kind in London. Together the centres make up London’s trauma system, the first of its kind in the country, which is expected to save around 100 lives a year and also reduce the risk of lasting disabilities in the critically injured.

Consultant vascular surgeon Mr Michael Jenkins is the director of the major trauma centre (MTC) which is based at St Mary’s Hospital.

He said: “London’s major trauma centres ensure patients receive the best care, in cutting edge facilities from highly specialised teams. We are delighted to be part of the country’s first trauma system – it is a really exciting and important development which will save many lives each year.”

Twenty-five year-old Said Farah was treated in the MTC for one month after he sustained serious head and facial injuries during an unprovoked attack.

Said underwent neurosurgery to remove a huge blood clot in his brain and maxillo facial treatment on his fractured cheek bone.

He was in a coma for two weeks and once he regained consciousness, he was unable to speak or walk for a further two weeks.

He said: “I was so frightened when I first woke up – I thought I was going to die. The only way I could communicate was by blinking, which was terrifying, but thanks to the support of everyone on the ward, I’m now able to speak and walk again. I cannot thank them enough.”

Sara Morgan, lead nurse on the major trauma ward, said: “Our patients benefit from the input of a variety of teams. Every specialty a trauma patient might need including orthopaedics, neurosurgery and vascular surgery, are all available here. In addition, we can offer patients a robust therapies service with dedicated physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language and dietician support.”  

Upon arrival to the Trust, major trauma patients are assessed by a consultant-led trauma team in the emergency department.

If the patient requires diagnostics, they are taken in a dedicated lift to the acute imaging centre.

The patient is then taken to theatre or admitted to the major trauma ward on the ninth floor of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother building.

The 16–bed ward can provide high dependency care and half of the beds are in spacious side rooms.

The MTC theatre is the largest in the Trust and includes multiple cameras and screens so the surgical team has a 360 degree view of everything that is happening. The footage can be streamed to a lecture theatre for teaching and recorded for audit purposes.

There is a blood cell salvage machine in the theatre which ‘cleans’ the patient’s lost blood before recirculating it, reducing the amount of donor blood needed.

A specialist airflow system around the operating table will increase ventilation, reducing the risk of infection.

Mr Jenkins added: “We are really proud of our major trauma centre. The facilities we have will give patients with serious and multiple injuries the very best chance of survival.”