About Barnet Hospital trauma unit
Barnet Hospital has been a Trauma Unit since 2009. The Royal Free NHS Trust ran 2 Trauma Units, one at Barnet and one at Chase Farm. Chase Farm Hospital closed as an Emergency Department and Trauma Unit on 8th December 2013. Significant investment was made to the Emergency Department at Barnet to help with the increased levels of attendance. On the 1st July 2014, Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals was merged with Royal Free Hospital and Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust was established.
There are Trauma units at both Barnet Hospital and Royal Free Hospital. These units are currently run separately. Both Hospitals are within the North East London & Essex Network (NELETN).
Elderly Trauma
There is a substantial elderly population at Barnet. Inevitably, with this, there is increased elderly trauma and this is occurring at Barnet. TARN figures also reflect this considerable increase in silver trauma. The commonest reported mechanism is a simple low level fall. However in the elderly population a seemingly inoffensive fall can precipitate catastrophic and life threatening injuries and we are certainly seeing this time and time again in our ED. Both pre-hospitally and in-hospital there is sufficient circumstantial evidence that we are simply not extending our radar sufficiently to consider trauma in this population. As a result of this there is too often a failure of or delay in recognition of such injuries. The aim of the Silver Trauma Activation Criteria (STAC) tool, which we are currently trialling, is to enhance the prospective identification of serious injuries in the elderly population.
Download the STAC tool here.
Key personnel
Trauma lead (including paediatrics): Dr Marta Sowa
Trauma manager: Lauren Lee
Nursing lead:
AHP lead: Pending
Radiology lead: Fraser Ingham
Transfusion lead: Conrad Buckle
Emergency Planning Officer: Melissa Brackley
Older patient trauma lead: Ari Johar
General surgery trauma lead: Helena Tabry
Orthopaedic lead: Harold Nwaboku
TARN coordinator: Farida Juma
