More patients will go directly to Dunedin Hospital, rather than Southland Hospital, under a new trauma patient policy that starts on Monday. Nationwide, the policy will affect up to 200 patients every year.
It was announced by Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and ACC Minister Michael Woodhouse this week. Major trauma national clinical network clinical leader Prof Ian Civil said it meant more patients injured in Otago and Southland would be directed to Dunedin.
"Dunedin is a tertiary major trauma hospital so the main impact would be complex trauma patients preferentially taken to Dunedin rather than Southland.
"The spinal cord policy is already in place and that is where patients might go directly to Christchurch," Prof Civil said.
Dr Coleman and Mr Woodhouse said in a statement patients would benefit from being taken to the most appropriate hospital more quickly.
"Each year around 2000 people with major trauma are transferred to hospital for care. Of these, up to 200 cases a year go to a hospital which provides initial care before sending them on to another hospital.
"This policy will help reduce the number of patients needing to be transferred during their care by getting them to a hospital which can provide all of the services right at the beginning of their treatment," Dr Coleman said.
