St George’s new Major Trauma Ward opens and welcomes first patient
St George’s new Major Trauma Ward opened today, replacing the ward formerly known as Holdsworth.
St George’s is a designated Major Trauma Centre for the Southwest London and Surrey Major Trauma Network, and the new ward will provide a designated specialist area for major trauma patients to receive the expert multidisciplinary care they need to get them on the road to recovery.
St George’s Major Trauma Service is led by Trauma and Orthopaedics, with specialist support from multiple surgical and other specialities on site, including Neurosurgery, General Surgery, Thoracic surgery, Orthogeriatrics, Plastics, Max Fax, vascular surgery, and ENT.
In addition, patients benefit from a well-established and expert team of Major Trauma Nurse Practitioners. They co-ordinate much of the care of major trauma patients with specialist nursing and AHP teams (including physio/occupational therapy, speech and language, dietician, and psychology) focused on the rehabilitation and recovery for these patients.
Just hours after opening its doors, the ward’s very first patient arrived – Caterina, who fell 24 feet down a cliff face in Italy before being repatriated to the UK and brought to St George’s. After two days elsewhere in the hospital, she was today moved to the Major Trauma Ward.
“I was doing some little bits of gardening at my cousin’s house and pulled the weeds, and a fence behind me gave way. I fell 24 feet, and I’m very lucky to be telling the story!
“Since coming here it’s been amazing, amazing… amazing. I’ve had more help and care in two days here than I had in the preceding ten days. And the nurses’ care we get every day… They have a smile on their face all day and all night. St George’s has a reputation for being an amazing hospital and it definitely deserves it.”
Ciara O’Regan, Major Trauma Ward Manager, Tiffany Smith, Major Trauma Lead Nurse, and Aoife Boylan, Matron, said:
“Today is a big day for St George’s as a Major Trauma Centre, as we opened the doors to our shiny new Major Trauma Ward.
“It is with great anticipation and excitement that our first major trauma patient was welcomed onto the ward, and we look forward to cohorting major trauma care across multiple teams and specialities, which will support our patients on their road to recovery.”
