The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) plays a vital role in delivering pre-hospital trauma care across the country as part of the STN.
One of the key areas of focus for SAS is ensuring its emergency services can get to any trauma patient quickly and have more advanced skills, training and support to better help patients at the scene and while on their way to the most appropriate hospital.
Below showcases the key changes and improvements SAS have made in the treatment of trauma care:
The SAS Critical Care Desk based in the Glasgow Ambulance Control Centre is operational 24/7 and supports the coordination of the service’s response to trauma. The desk manages the response to patients and their care across the network and is an essential liaison for Scotland’s Major Trauma Centres (MTCs).
Significant money has been invested in major trauma equipment across the service’s emergency vehicle fleet.
Implementation of revised trauma kits into every operational vehicle contains the latest fracture splints and trauma haemorrhage control equipment, tourniquets, decompression needles, chest seals and pelvic binders. This vital equipment is already helping crews save more lives.
The investment into additional trauma equipment and training for all our frontline resources recognises that the initial responding paramedic crew still carries out many of the most important early interventions for trauma patients.
Early appropriate deployment of one of our pre-hospital trauma teams through appropriate tasking in our Ambulance Control centres and Critical Care Desk.
The Major Trauma Triage Tool has been designed to support crews in the early identification of trauma patients and to access trauma treatment pathways within the STN. Previously, major trauma patients were transferred to the nearest emergency centre, but through the use of the triage tool, patients are transferred directly to an MTC to ensure they receive the specialist care they need as soon as possible. The triage tool decision making process will be supported by the 24/7 Critical Care Desk.
Throughout the country, SAS utilise Advanced Paramedics in Critical Care (APCC) who augment the treatment already available through ambulance crews. These teams are known as “Yellow” response teams.
A key element to the success of the trauma network is the effective identification and triage of major trauma patients in the pre-hospital environment.
The introduction of these improvements across SAS, supported by the STN, has helped save more lives and provide critical patients with the specialist care they need, where and when they need it.
Delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place.