Trauma Service

The NCCTRC’s Trauma Service is a multi-disciplinary clinical team based at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). As the only major trauma care provider in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, RDH manages over 900 trauma admissions each year, and is recognised with Level II Trauma Verification from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

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Since its establishment in 2007, the NCCTRC Trauma Service has been at the forefront of trauma care, bringing together a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals to provide specialist consultative inpatient care every day of the year. The team works in close collaboration with RDH healthcare teams to deliver and coordinate comprehensive specialist care for trauma patients, supporting them through their entire journey from presentation to the Emergency Department to their rehabilitation.

The Trauma Service collaborates with various trauma care providers throughout the NT, including metropolitan and rural areas, to ensure the delivery of evidence-based trauma care to injured Territorians. Key stakeholders include hospitals across the NT, aeromedical retrieval services, St John Ambulance, rural and remote clinics and primary healthcare facilities. This collaboration creates a strong network that provides comprehensive and timely support to those in need, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and maintaining the highest standards of trauma care.

Ongoing support NT-wide trauma systems

Enhance preparedness by providing and delivering teaching, training and practical support across the NT region.

Trauma education

Trauma education is a key priority for the Trauma Service, which offers a comprehensive program of unique education and training packages across the NT including rural and remote communities. These include the Australian Trauma Team Training (ATTT), the Remote Pre-Hospital Trauma Education (RATE) and the Remote Pre-Hospital Trauma and Disaster Course (RPHTDC) courses. These courses focus on the safe assessment and management of trauma patients while also enhancing teamwork skills in a trauma environment.

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Trauma Registry and research

The Trauma Service is responsible for the Trauma Registry in the TER (Top End Region). The Trauma Registry provides data for ongoing quality improvement activities throughout the Top End, as well as allowing monitoring of service delivery and trauma outcomes.  The TER Trauma Registry feeds into the Australia New Zealand Trauma Registry (ANZTR) which is a key component of the Australia and New Zealand Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ANZTQIP).

Clinical Governance/ Clinical trauma care research and trials

The Trauma Service supports numerous research projects, with outcomes monitored by the TER Trauma Management Committee (TMC) along with the TER Trauma Clinical Review Meetings (CRM). The Trauma Service also continues to participate in international and national clinical trials to monitor and improve outcomes for trauma patients.

Community engagement and injury prevention initiatives

The Trauma Service plays a crucial role in managing the Northern Territory Paediatric Injury Surveillance database, which was established in 2015 by the Centre for Disease Control in Darwin. This database collects detailed information about the nature, location, and types of injuries that children experience in the Northern Territory. The data supports the development of targeted prevention strategies, leading to improved outcomes for young people.

The Trauma Service also delivers a regular schedule of the P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) program throughout the school year across the Northern Territory. P.A.R.T.Y. is an in-hospital injury prevention and awareness program for high school students, designed to provide them with information about trauma. By understanding the risks and consequences of injury, students are empowered to make safer choices in the future and avoid situations likely to result in harm.

Civil-Military health engagement & integration

The Trauma Service plays a crucial role in facilitating ongoing briefings between NT Health and national and international military deputations, ensuring seamless collaboration and integrated health planning. By leading joint health forums and clinical system orientations, the service enhances the efficiency of multinational military health contingents operating in Northern Australia. This involves coordinating clinical activities and streamlining patient movements between systems; conducting joint exercises and training to enhance readiness and resilience in the region, developing robust joint health emergency planning initiatives, and supporting vital clinical rotations, ultimately providing the comprehensive care that our communities deserve.

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