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NZ health reforms causing apprehension among trauma specialists

Auckland City Hospital.

The massive health reforms underway in New Zealand are causing apprehension among specialists at the National Trauma Network.

The Trauma Network distributes best practice guidelines for a critical patient care to a raft of emergency medicine services across the health sector – from ambulance services and A&E departments to rehabilitation services who later aid patient recovery.

“It’s one of the key guiding lights of how we care for trauma patients,” says Dr Dominic Fleisher, Senior Emergency Specialist at Christchurch Hospital.

Dr Fleisher says Trauma Network guidelines saved lives when victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings arrived at the hospital’s A&E department on March 15, 2019.

“The fact that surgeons knew the emergency specialists, knew the intensive care specialists and knew each other so well because of the local trauma committee and national network we gave the quality of care we gave that day,” Dr Fleisher says.

The national trauma network's clinical director is concerned the the network will be “orphaned or abandoned” in the reform process.

Professor Ian Civil is the clinical director of the NZ National Trauma Network. He is a trauma specialist of more than 40 years experience, including as a stint in Iraq as head of the NZ Army medical team.

Professor Civil is concerned by Te Whatu Ora’s current reshaping of clinical services and fears it may result in the Trauma Network “being orphaned or abandoned” in the reform process.

“Although undoubtedly data will be collected,” says Professor Civil, “how that will be translated into improved outcomes for patients is unclear.”

The network is funded by ACC and has been meeting KPI targets set for patient and financial outcomes.

Te Whatu Ora’s Dr Pete Watson and ACC’s Dr John Robson have responded to questions from 1News in a statement which says, “the plan to move to the National Trauma Unit from ACC to Te Whatu Ora is part of a broader programme of work to build a group of National Clinical Networks that will ensure frontline health experts are supported to lead and drive change across the health system”.

Professor Civil says more critically ill trauma patients survive due to the Network’s guidelines. He is calling on Te Whatu Ora to take a closer look at the Trauma Network and hold further discussions with staff about their work, data and results.

The new health entity is expected to announce final details about the restructure before the end of June.

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