Southampton's major trauma centre scoops double win at prestigious national awards

The regional major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) has scooped two prestigious prizes at this year’s Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) Awards.

In a virtual ceremony held yesterday (23 September) as part of the national Trauma Care Conference 2021, the major trauma team received the Improvements in Care Award while Jane Smart, TARN manager at UHS, picked up an individual award.

The awards were established by TARN – which carries out clinical audits for trauma care across England, Wales, Ireland and parts of Europe – in 2017 to recognise innovative and effective ways trusts use data to help improve performance and patient outcomes.

Southampton General Hospital is one of only two places in the south of England to offer adults and children full onsite major trauma care provision and treats around 1,500 patients a year from across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, as well as parts of Dorset and Wiltshire.

According to the latest TARN data, the major trauma centre at UHS treated 3,635 patients between January 2018 to May 2021 with 0.8 additional survivors per 100 patients – making it one of the country’s top performers.

The Improvements in Care Award recognises a team which has made the best use of data to improve quality of care, while Ms Smart’s award – the Woodford Award – acknowledges the excellence of TARN audit coordinators and their contribution to patient care.

“We all work extremely hard to provide the very best care for our trauma patients and this achievement is particularly rewarding and significant as it recognises how, over a period of more than five years, we have maintained a higher than average survival rate among our patients and we continue to deliver these excellent outcomes,” said Dr Mark Baxter, director of major trauma at UHS.

“We are delighted to receive this recognition which is testament to the team’s dedication, world-class expertise and hard work and it is a pleasure to share this award with them all.”

Ms Smart has been a member of the TARN team at UHS since it was established in 2012 and has implemented developments including digital symbols to identify patients’ medical needs such as rehabilitation prescriptions.

She has also streamlined the process of keeping notes secure and available as trauma patients move through different parts of the hospital to receive their care.

“Jane is a huge part of the major trauma centre and absolutely deserves this special award,” said Emma Bowyer, major trauma centre manager at UHS.

“She is a great team player, an expert in her field and her attention to detail and tenacity for accuracy is second-to-none – she has a pivotal role here at UHS and we are very lucky to have her.”

Ms Bowyer added: “Major trauma care is extremely complex, involving many highly specialist teams from across the Trust pulling together to provide the best outcomes for our patients.

“We are all extremely proud to have received such important recognition of the work we are doing and it is a fantastic achievement for all the individuals and teams involved in the work of the major trauma centre.”

The major trauma centre at UHS is supported by six trauma units – Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Poole, Dorchester, Salisbury and St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight – as well as two ambulance services and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. These combine to make the Wessex Trauma Network.