Pre-hospital Peer Review

Report highlights strengths and opportunities in pre-hospital trauma care.

An independent review of Scotland's pre-hospital trauma services has praised significant progress in trauma care delivery while identifying key areas for further improvement.

The Scottish Trauma Network Pre-Hospital Peer Review is the final element of a wider peer review programme examining trauma services across Scotland. The review assessed the pre-hospital trauma care provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) against the standards established during the development of the national trauma network.

An independent panel reviewed submitted evidence and conducted a site visit to the SAS base at Glasgow Airport as part of the assessment process. 

The review found that major trauma management is well embedded within routine paramedic and ambulance technician practice across Scotland. It also highlighted improvements in trauma triage, resulting in more seriously injured patients being transported directly to Major Trauma Centres when appropriate. Strong national and regional clinical governance arrangements were identified, alongside evidence of ongoing quality improvement activity and effective integration of the ambulance service into national major incident planning.

Certain areas for development were also identified, such as ensuring equity of access in response; improving data consistency in dispatch processes and resource allocation; and strengthening secondary transfer arrangements.

In total, the review makes nine recommendations aimed at supporting the next phase of service development. These focus on strengthening service assurance through data, improving workforce deployment, enhancing triage and transfer processes, expanding critical care provision and maintaining investment in clinical leadership, governance and quality improvement. The recommendations are intended to support the network's ambition of ensuring that all patients have equitable access to high-quality trauma care, regardless of where in Scotland they are injured.