Dubbo Base Hospital has achieved accreditation as a regional trauma service, allowing more seriously injured patients to be treated closer to home.
The accreditation follows four years of work to demonstrate the clinical standards required to function as a service that can manage trauma injuries assessed as minor or moderate.
Previously, these patients would have been transferred to a metropolitan facility for treatment by air or road. Patients experiencing major trauma will continue to have their care initiated at Dubbo Hospital prior to transfer.
Dubbo Base Hospital was assessed by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Institute of Trauma and Injury Management before being designated as a regional trauma service by NSW Health.
The trauma team at Dubbo includes nurses, doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists, pathology technicians, and radiographers.
“Dubbo Base Hospital continues to build its services and reputation as a rural referral facility, and this elevation in status is a credit to the team who have worked to achieve accreditation,” said Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park.
“Dubbo is more than 400km from Sydney and has a huge catchment in the north-west of the state. Being able to treat more people with traumatic injuries closer to where they live is hugely important as we know staying connected to family and community is a vital factor in recovery.”
Dubbo Base Hospital’s Director of Trauma, Dr Simon Heppell said achieving accreditation as a regional service was important for the local population.
“…because patients with traumatic injuries need to be assessed and treated as quickly as possible. Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in younger age groups and is an increasing burden on our older citizens due to falls.”
“We are a long way from Sydney and its vital that we are able to treat patients locally whilst at the same time stabilising the very sickest trauma patients and transferring them to Sydney for ongoing care.
“Dubbo is now verified as a Level 3 trauma service which means we are able to provide high quality care locally for minor to moderate trauma patients, whilst stabilising major trauma patients prior to their transfer to a higher level service,” said Dr Heppell.
