This guideline covers the organisation and provision of major trauma services in pre-hospital and hospital settings, including ambulance services, emergency departments, major trauma centres and trauma units.
Major trauma: services delivery aims to reduce deaths and disabilities in people with serious injuries by providing a systematic approach to the delivery of major trauma care. It does not cover services for people with burns. NHS England’s clinical reference group (CRG) produce the service specification for major trauma. The CRG intends to consider the NICE guidelines on major trauma, major trauma: service delivery, spinal injury and complex fractures in future updates to the service specification which are planned for 2017.
The guideline should be read alongside the NICE guidelines on major trauma, spinal injury and complex fractures, which provide clinical recommendations for major trauma care.
Recommendations
This guideline includes recommendations on:
- pre-hospital triage
- the destination of patients with major trauma
- the organisation of a hospital major trauma service
- documentation
- national audit systems to improve performance
- information and support for patients with major trauma, their family members and carers
Who is it for?
- Commissioners of major trauma services, ambulance and hospital trust boards, medical directors, and senior managers in ambulance trusts
- Healthcare professionals and practitioners who provide care for people with major trauma or suspected major trauma in pre-hospital and hospital settings
- People with major trauma or suspected major trauma, their families and carers