This article is from page 12 of the 2008-04-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
AT least five lives will be saved eve- ry year in Clare that would otherwise have been lost once the major trauma bypass protocol is implemented in May, according to the HSE.
The protocol, announced by HSE Network Manager, John Hennessy, means that between 15 and 25 pa- tients from Clare will be brought di- rectly to the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick, bypassing Ennis.
Speaking in Ennis on Friday, Mr Hennessy said that the new standards for the management of trauma were set down some time ago by the Medi- cal Council.
“The recommendations are clear. Severely injured patients must be brought to a hospital that is specifi-
cally geared for it. In the case of the mid-west, that would be a regional trauma centre such as the regional hospital in Limerick.
“What we are proposing and pre- paring to implement in Clare has already been implemented in north sbi o)eoe- aan
Accident and emergency consult- ant, Mr Cathal O’Donnell, based in Limerick and Clare, said that out of every four patients that will be taken directly to Limerick, one will live that would have otherwise have died.
Approximately 20,000 patients a year attend the accident and emer- gency service.
“The driving force behind this is to try to save lives,” he said.
The major trauma bypass protocol
has been implemented in north Tip- perary for the past two months, with four patients in total taken directly to Limerick, bypassing Nenagh.
“Trauma care is changing, it 1s evolving, it is becoming more com- iene
“More complicated treatments, more expensive treatments, multi- disciplinary ways of treating people are being developed all the time, and the capacity to deliver that high level of care is best provided in a big cen- tre,’ said Mr O’ Donnell.
The decision to move patients di- rectly to Limerick will be the respon- sibility of the paramedics.
Advance paramedics have been Operating in the mid-west for three years, and six are expected to be based throughout the county by
May.
“Their up-skilling has led them to make more difficult decisions all the time, and more complex, but they have been well trained for that and, as medical director of the ambulance service, | support them,’ said Mr O’Donnell, “I am certainly very con- fident of advanced paramedics and paramedic staff to look after these patients very well.”
Mr Hennessy admitted, however, that staff were concerned about “re- source issues for their particular ar- eas” once the policy is implemented.
Chief Ambulance Officer, Pat Daly said he was happy with the situation but resources were always an issue.
“You never have enough resources. That has been a constant problem for the ambulance services. But what
resources are there I think are ad- equate,” he said.
The ambulance chief said that if ad- vance paramedics were not available in Clare during a major trauma, one could be requested from Limerick to meet the ambulance.
The air ambulance, being made available from the air corp, will be available to take patients from one hospital to another but not from the scene of an accident to hospital.
“T would imagine that the potential for more use of air ambulance will become a more significant reality in the future.
“It does represent a real opportu- nity to make use of new technology and get patients to the right place far quicker than traditional methods would,’ said Mr Hennessy.