People in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales will soon have better access to potentially life-saving services as part of plans to improve services for patients with serious injuries across the West Midlands. It is hoped that the new system will save between 25 and 40 lives each year.

Patients with the most serious injuries need to be taken to major trauma centres where the most specialised care is available. The nearest major trauma centres for adults are in Stoke on Trent and Birmingham, and for children the nearest major trauma centre is the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Patients who need immediate resuscitation, or who cannot be taken directly to a major trauma centre, will be taken to local trauma units like the one in Shrewsbury.

Mark Prescott, Emergency Medicine Consultant at the Trust, said: “Establishing a trauma unit in Shrewsbury will allow us to make sure seriously injured patients can get the right life-saving care as quickly as possible. It is all about providing the best possible emergency service.

“Seriously injured patients will be brought to us and received by a consultant-led team for resuscitation, and then either treated here or transferred onto a major trauma centre as their condition dictates.

“This decision is a reflection of the work that has already been done here to develop a robust trauma team system. There is still some work to be done to ensure we continue to meet the new standards, but this service will be a benefit to the whole area. We serve a population spread over large geographical area, many of whom live some distance away from the major trauma centres and there is a clear need for an outpost trauma unit here.”

Patients with serious injuries brought to the hospital will be received by a consultant led trauma team with rapid access to a CT scanner and the operating theatre. Some patients will remain at the RSH, but others will be stabilised and taken to a major trauma centre.

As well as providing better immediate care there will also be an emphasis on rehabilitation. This should mean that more patients who survive serious injury will be able to return to work.