{"id":28687,"date":"2018-03-29T16:58:52","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T15:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jomec.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=28687"},"modified":"2018-03-29T16:58:52","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T15:58:52","slug":"major-trauma-centre-approved-heath-hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2018\/03\/29\/major-trauma-centre-approved-heath-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"Major trauma centre approved for the Heath Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

A MAJOR trauma centre for south and mid Wales will be established at the Heath Hospital after approval today from six health boards. \u00a0<\/span>
\nThe centre will cover South Wales, West Wales, and south Powys. North Wales is already covered by the West Midlands trauma network. <\/span>
\nMajor traumas<\/a> are serious injuries that are life changing and can be fatal, including head injuries and multiple fractures. Major trauma centres are set up to provide specialised care and rehabilitation, and all are equipped with CT scanners and emergency operating theatres on standby.<\/span>
\nAccording to research, patients are 15 to 20% more likely to survive if admitted to a major trauma centre. The current closest centre is in Bristol at Southmead Hospital. <\/span>
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a major step forward in saving lives in our country,\u201d said Maria Battle, chair of the Cardiff and Vale health board. <\/span>
\n\u201cWales is the only place in the UK that doesn\u2019t have a major trauma network. This is a ministerial priority and we would hope there would be central funding for this,\u201d said Abigail Harris, planning director of the Cardiff and Vale health board. <\/span>
\nThe cost of the new centre isn\u2019t yet known, as a business case has to be put to the Welsh Government first.<\/span>
\nThe approval comes a day after it was revealed that Welsh health boards\u2019 deficit<\/a>\u00a0has reached \u00a3163m, with Cardiff and Vale\u2019s deficit standing at \u00a326.9m. <\/span>
\nThe decision to approve the new centre came despite concerns about congestion at Heath Hospital, public engagement and chest surgery. <\/span>
\nAddressing the congestion concerns, Ms Harris said: \u201cWe can accommodate it on the original site, we don\u2019t have to move anything off the site and we are confident we are able to deliver it with what we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/span>
\nPublic involvement in the consultation was another concern. Stephen Allen, chief officer of the community health council of Cardiff and the Vale, said while the public overwhelmingly support the principle, the consultation document was too difficult to understand. <\/span>
\nMr Allen said: \u201cThere were 13 appendices. It needs to be in a format that the public can digest. The public were not part of the conversation and they should be setting the direction. There should be lessons learned from this, to make sure we have a very robust service.\u201d<\/span>
\nMorriston Hospital in Swansea had bid to be the site of the new centre, but Cardiff won because of its expertise in head injuries. Morriston will still have a lead role for the major trauma network and will become a large trauma unit.<\/span>
\nAt the moment there are plans for chest surgery to stay at Morriston, although some surgeons are concerned about the travel time if patients have to go back to the Heath for rehabilitation. <\/span>
\nIndu Deglurkar, a consultant cardiac surgeon, spoke about the need for chest surgery to be based in the same place as the trauma centre, rather than in Swansea as planned. <\/span>
\nShe said some industrial injuries can end up with a patient\u2019s lungs being taken out of their chest. <\/span>
\n\u201cWhat happens after that makes the difference between life and death, this is a very important point,\u201d Dr Deglurkar said. <\/span>
\nThe other five health boards that approved the decision are:<\/span><\/p>\n