During 2009/10 over 1.2 million people were seen by emergency departments and health care workers providing urgent care services in South Central.  Research shows that in a significant number of cases, emergency treatment could have been avoided, and the acute care programme aims to reduce the need for urgency and emergency care through prevention, self care and by proactive healthcare interventions.

The programme also aims to improve the quality of South Central’s urgent and emergency care while significantly reducing the cost.

One of the ways in which the programme plans to do this is by reducing the number of people who attend A&E departments.   South Central NHS is supporting a campaign called Choose Well to encourage people to choose the right health service for their condition, for example, consulting their local pharmacist for minor ailments, or calling NHS Direct for advice. The Choose Well campaign will continue in 2010/11 as part of the acute care programme’s work to provide the right urgent care in settings outside hospitals as well as at A&E.

The acute care programme team is also looking at improving access to young people who require significant support from the Children’s and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and improving children’s urgent care.

A review of major trauma (injuries such as amputation; severe knife and gunshot wounds; major head injuries; multiple injuries and spinal injuries) care in South Central also comes under the acute care programme.

Review of trauma care

Major trauma includes injuries such as amputation; severe knife and gunshot wounds; major head injuries; multiple injuries and spinal injuries and is the main cause of death for people under the age of 44.

There are estimated to be over 800 major trauma cases within South Central per year and the majority of these are taken to their local hospital where there can be a significant delay in receiving the care needed.  Approximately two thirds of major trauma patients end up being transferred to a specialised centre.

In order to improve the care of these patients, dedicated major trauma centres are to be established across the country. In South Central, it is planned that these will be at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. The new arrangements, which are currently being worked up, would take affect from April 2011.

Downloads