A landmark agreement provides an opportunity for NSW to become a national leader in trauma care management and advance the care patients receive.
A landmark agreement between the ACI's Institute of Trauma and Injury Management, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the State Insurance Regulatory Authority ensures that all NSW trauma centres managing injured patients will participate in the Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) Trauma Verification Program over the next three years.
The trauma verification benchmarking process is the gold standard in trauma care and helps hospitals analyse their systems of care for trauma patients. It is based on the principle that all injured patients achieve the best outcome when seen by the right person, at the right place, in the right time.
At Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie, we're always seeking to deliver outstanding trauma care; and to review and improve our systems according to best practice.
Professor Zsolt Balogh, Chair of the RACS Trauma Verification Committee, led this initiative and is delighted by the agreement, particularly for regional communities.
“Last year 39% of all major trauma incidents occurred in a rural area. By verifying the 17 trauma hospitals from Tweed Heads to Wagga Wagga, we will help ensure that wherever patients are injured in NSW, they are never too far from receiving the best possible care,” explains Professor Balogh.
The ANZ Trauma Verification Program is an established and internationally recognised trauma service capability assessment program which covers all phases of acute care, from pre-hospital to rehabilitation. It is a multidisciplinary program with the support of emergency medicine physicians, intensivists, anaesthetists, senior nurses and allied health professionals.
The agreement positions NSW as the first Australian jurisdiction where each of its trauma centres, including all regional services, will undergo the extensive trauma verification process.
“The agreement is an excellent example of collaboration between the NSW local health districts, Ministry of Health and non-government organisations to deliver world-class, interconnected and patient-centred healthcare,” explains Associate Professor Michael Dinh, Clinical Director of the ACI’s Institute of Trauma and Injury Management.
“Severe injury is a major cause of death and disability in those younger than 40 years of age.
“To ensure patients anywhere in NSW get the best possible care, the ACI will work with RACS and the ANZ Trauma Verification Program to improve care coordination and outcomes for severely injured patients in NSW.”
The local perspective
The Coffs Harbour Health Campus will be one of the first trauma centres to be verified during the three-year roll out.
Dr Acland Hart, Trauma Director at Coffs Harbour Health Campus, believes having external and impartial assessment of trauma systems is vital because it helps hospitals to provide the best care.
“Trauma can have major impacts on individuals, families and society as a whole so it's important that we provide the highest standards of care. At Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie, we're always seeking to deliver outstanding trauma care; and to review and improve our systems according to best practice. We are delighted to be one of the first regional trauma centres to undergo the trauma verification process.”
More about the NSW Institute of Trauma and Injury Management