Current Organisational Structure
The NSW Institute of Trauma & Injury Management, as part of the NSW Health Department and in partnership with the Policy and Planning division, oversees the State Trauma System which is organised as follows:
Major Trauma Services are the leaders of Trauma Networks. The Major Trauma Services work together and are responsible for the support of all levels of Trauma Services within their designated Trauma Networks. Major Trauma Services are Tertiary care facilities, which provide all clinical specialties including Trauma Rehabilitation services. The process of demonstrated consultation, leadership, research and education binds a Major Trauma Service to its networks, together with an integrated, prospective performance improvement program, which supports excellence in clinical management. This is known as a Comprehensive Injury Management Program.
Regional Trauma Services are hospitals capable of providing a high level of care to the injured patient. They may not be able to provide the full range of services required within a Major Trauma Service, but may still be able to care for a defined group of seriously injured patients. They provide initial assessment, stabilisation and definitive care. They initiate transfer to the Major Trauma Service when a patient requires services not available at the regional centre.
Urban Trauma Services are hospitals serving local communities in urban areas. They manage large numbers of minor and medium severity injuries. They provide initial resuscitation and stabilisation for severely injured patients prior to transfer to a Major or Regional Trauma Service. They are part of the Area Health Service comprehensive Injury Management Program
Rural Referral Trauma Services are hospitals capable of providing a high level of care to the injured patient. They may not be able to provide the full range of services required within a Major Trauma Service, but may still be able to care for a defined group of seriously injured patients. They provide initial assessment, stabilisation and definitive care. They initiate transfer to a Major Trauma Service when a patient requires services not available at the referral centre.
Rural Designated Protocol 4 (DP4) Trauma Services serve local communities in rural areas with 24 hour availability of a medical officer. They provide early stabilisation of the seriously injured patient prior to transfer to a Referral or Major Trauma Service.
Rural Non-Designated Protocol 4 (NDP4) Trauma Services are small hospitals or clinics in remote or rural parts of NSW that may rarely receive severely injured patients. They have no immediately available medical practitioner. They provide early triage, basic stabilisation, and early consultation and arrange transfer to a higher level of trauma service.
The designating authority for a hospital's level of trauma service resides with the NSW Health Department on the advice of The NSW Institute of Trauma & Injury Management and the NSW Critical Care Advisory Committee.
The State Wide Services of Spinal Cord Injury, Severe Burn Injury and Brain Injury Rehabilitation, while independently managed, are still considered members of the State Trauma System.
Also in this section:
» History» Entry into the System
» Multi-Disciplinary Approach