PATIENTS from across south Wales who have suffered major trauma injuries - such as serious head and spinal damage - are set to be treated at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales (UHW) from next spring, as part of a revamp of the way these life threatening cases are managed.
The setting up of a South Wales Trauma Network, with UHW as the region's major trauma centre, is intended to improve outcomes for the most seriously injured patients, not least reducing the number of deaths.
The network will initially include six adult and paediatric trauma units (TU) with two in Gwent, at the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall Hospitals, though the Grange University Hospital at Llanfrechfa will become the area's sole TU when it opens in spring 2021.
The TUs will provide care for injured patients and have systems in place to move the most severely injured to hospitals that can manage them, in most cases UHW.
It is intended that UHW's major trauma centre will automatically accept patients from across south Wales and, when the acute phase of of their trauma care is complete, TUs or a suitable hospital in the patient's home health board area will automatically accept them back.
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Patient repatriation is considered essential to the effective operation of the network, to enable them to continue their care closer to home, reduce the impact on family and carers, and help enable the major trauma centre to ensure it can automatically accept new patients.
The network will be developed in phases over a five-year period, beginning this year - 2019/20 - although the major funding will be required from next year until 2023/24.
The total cost over that period is estimated at close to £60 million, with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board's contribution being around £14.5m.
Health boards' funding shares are intended to reflect the costs of the the major trauma unit, the TUs and rehabilitation services, specialist services, and pre-hospital care - that provided by ambulance crews.
More than 200 new whole time equivalent posts will be created by the network - mainly at the major trauma centre at UHW - comprising consultants, doctors, nurses, healthcare support workers, allied health professionals, scientists, technicians, and administrative staff.
The TUs, including that at the Grange University Hospital, will also require more staff too, notably major trauma practitioners and rehabilitation co-ordinators, who will be vital in ensuring seamless care and key points of contact for patients returning from acute care at UHW.
A consultant in rehabilitation medicine will operate in each health board area on a weekly basis, and community-based rehab services will be enhanced.
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