TRAUMA CENTRE DECISION
HEALTH boards across south Wales have approved plans to site Wales’ first major trauma centre in Cardiff.
The facility will be a 24-hour trauma centre for the most critically ill casualties, serving all of south and mid Wales.
Swansea, which had put in a bid to host the facillity, will have an enhanced trauma unit to support Cardiff.
There was opposition in Swansea to Cardiff winning the bid and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board (ABMU) only approved the Cardiff option by a majority vote after two members objected and one abstained.
North Wales is served by the major trauma network in the west Midlands.
A panel of experts had recommended the major trauma unit should be in Cardiff because of the hospital’s expertise in treating head injuries.
The business case still needs to be approved by the Welsh Government.
Plaid Cymru AM Dr Dai Lloyd accused the ABMU and Hywel Dda health boards of caving into pressure.
He said: “It is hugely disappointing that both Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda health boards have today decided to cave in to pressure, and fail to stand up for patients in southwest Wales.
“This is yet another slap in the face for people in Swansea and south-west Wales who are seeing more and more services moving to Cardiff under this Labour Welsh Government.”
Maria Battle, chairwoman of the Cardiff and Vale health board, told a board meeting: “This is a major step forward in saving lives in our county.”
Dr Graham Shortland, medical director, told the meeting that major trauma centres have increased the survival rates of patients with the most severe forms of trauma by 15-20%.
He said hospitals with major trauma centres “have seen that as a positive driver for staff recruitment”.
“I think there’s a huge benefit in terms of attracting staff into the organisation with the major trauma centre,” he said.
The meeting heard that the public has “overwhelmingly supported” the establishment of a major trauma centre.
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board members voted in favour, although there were two objections and one abstention.
Swansea University professor Ceri Phillips, who is a non-officer ABMU board member, abstained from voting on the Cardiff recommendation, claiming the whole process was “fundamentally flawed” because the cost of creating the centre and network was not known.
Professor Phillips said: “There will be additional costs. It seems we are deciding about where we are putting it and then we find out about the costs.”
ABMU medical director Hamish Laing said around 1,000 patients in the region per year would benefit from the new major trauma network.
He said there were strong arguments for citing the centre in Morriston Hospital and also the University Hospital of Wales, and stressed the Cardiff recommendation had a sound clinical basis because of its co-location with neurosurgery services. Mr Laing said there was no suggestion that Morriston Hospital would lose other services as a result.
He added that Wales’ flying doctors would play an important role in treating and transporting patients who had suffered a major trauma, and that the new network would have a strong focus on patient rehabilitation.