Liverpool Clinicians create new head trauma score to tackle unnecessary referrals
- 03.02.2020
- JeanneEvans
- Personal-injury, Personal-injury
A team of staff from The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have developed a score to help clinicians define mild traumatic brain trauma.
The new scoring system – known as the Liverpool Head Injury Tomography Score (or Liverpool HITS) – was recently published in The British Journal of Neurosurgery. It classifies ‘surgically significant’ mild traumatic brain injuries in an attempt to improve communications between neurosurgical and referral centres.
Catherine McMahon, a consultant neurosurgeon and Lead for Trauma at The Walton Centre, said: “I’m delighted that Liverpool HITS has proven so effective in categorising mild head traumas.
“This could improve the head injury referral process by a significant amount and what’s even better is that the score has a very high sensitivity, so clinicians unsure of whether or not to refer a patient would be given the confidence that they are acting in the best interests of the patient.”
According to The Walton Centre’s website, ‘over half of the patients studied would never have required a referral to the neurosurgical centre meaning unnecessary workload in local A&Es and telephone consultations with neurosurgeons could have been avoided’.
Chris McLeavy, Lead Radiology Registrar for the Cheshire & Merseyside Collaborative, said: "The Liverpool HITS Team is proud to have developed such a robust and easy to use scoring system that will streamline head injury referrals. Liverpool HITS will improve communication, reduce unnecessary referrals, give staff more time to spend with sick patients and ensure all head injury patients are managed quickly and effectively."
While a researcher on the project, University of Liverpool’s Connor Gillespie, said: “I’m excited about the implications of Liverpool HITS. We want referring centres to be supported in their decision making, that not all mild head traumas need to be referred to specialists like The Walton Centre, rather provide guidance locally to empower local trauma units how best to manage these patients.
“During a time of increasing demand on the NHS this system has the potential to significantly reduce workload without affecting patient care. The score has attracted great interest nationally and will be rolled out across the North West and hopefully incorporated into referral processes across the wider NHS.”
Jeanne Evans, Partner and Personal Injury Solicitor here at Potter Rees Dolan, comments:
Great to hear of further innovative work from The Walton Centre, paving the way for improved patient care in treating head injury.
Jeanne is a Partner and Solicitor within the Personal Injury team here at Potter Rees Dolan. Should you wish to speak with Jeanne or any other member of our Personal Injury team, please call us today on 0800 027 2557 or fill out a contact form on the side of this page. Alternatively, you can contact Jeanne directly here.