TOP hospital surgeons and doctors are getting ready to tackle more major trauma cases in East London including gun and knife victims. The Royal London is set to become one of only four major accident and trauma centres in the capital

By Gemma Collins

TOP hospital surgeons and doctors are getting ready to tackle more major trauma cases in East London including gun and knife victims.

The Royal London is set to become one of only four major accident and trauma centres in the capital.

That means even more emergencies and intensive care at the already-stretched complex in Whitechapel—where London’s air ambulance helicopter is based.

TRAUMA

It already has the biggest major trauma unit in the country, which treats around four seriously-injured patients a day including many shot, stabbed or involved in serious car smashes.

New NHS plans revealed this week have designated the hospital as a major trauma’ centre and a hyper-acute stroke’ centre.

But top medics at Whitechapel insist they are ready for the extra workload.

“We already see 1,400 trauma patients a year, including 400 severely injured,” said consultant trauma surgeon Karim Brohi.

“We expect this number to increase. We have the capacity in our new hospital to manage.”

STROKE PATIENTS

A committee of London’s primary care trusts approved the four trauma centres which also include St Mary’s in Paddington and King’s College and St George’s in south London.

The Royal London, which is soon to be expanded as a multi-million extension nears completion in the next two years, would also be handling an extra 700 stroke patients a year, as one of eight new hyper-acute stroke centres.

It is to have four new consultants, three more junior doctors and additional senior therapists in speech, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.