St Mary’s Hospital’s newly acquired status as part of the NHS’s country-wide trauma network has been further enhanced by items of equipment provided by the Friends, at a total cost of just over £24,000.

(left to right) Accident and Emergency sister, Rosie Gouldings, its general manager, Mary Bound, consultant Dr Marcia Lynch, Friends’ trustee James Howe and Friends’ volunteer Christina Clarke.

Purchased by the charitry are a Level 1 Fast Flow Fluid Warming System and two lie-on trauma transfer systems. “They are all essential items of the latest technology to optimise care for trauma patients,” said the grateful A & E consultant, Dr Maria Lynch.

She explained that the department has been successfully functioning as a trauma unit since April this year. The department achieved this status as a result of rigorous assessment, and ensuring that all the necessary processes and training were in place to deliver high quality care for patients arriving with life-threatening injuries.

“The main purpose of the warming system is to ensure blood and fluids are quickly brought to body temperature, and delivered rapidly as an urgent transfusion. When lives are at stake from significant blood loss due to trauma or major surgery, the rapid flow of blood and fluids at body temperature saves lives. Even a small drop in body temperature is potentially dangerous in the trauma patient. Rapid fluid replacement will be significantly improved due to this system,
helping to save lives.”

The transfer boards are the latest design available. They enable patients to be transferred to them fast and safely and they can stay on them when having CT scans and X-rays. This reduces the need for multiple transfers whilst protecting the patients’ spine. The boards also have special lining material, providing relief for those with pressure injuries.

Dr Lynch said that the Emergency Department is keen to further improve the quality of care delivered to its trauma patients. “We will continue to optimise our care by ongoing audit, training and modernising the equipment we use in our resuscitation area. Currently, we are redesigning our resuscitation room, so that we have greater capacity for trauma patient care.