Aberdeen’s new trauma centre could be at least three years late, Nicola Sturgeon has admitted.
During a visit to Dundee’s Ninewells hospital, the first minister announced an initial extra £5 million to speed up progress on the Scotland-wide network.
The new facilities, which doctors estimate could save up to 40 lives a year, was announced by the Scottish Government in 2014 with completion due last year.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We need to recognise that it is extremely important that we get the model right.
“Given the scale and complexity of the changes required to deliver the network, we should need to recognise it will take at least three years to fully implement it.
“We are allocating an extra £5 million in 2017/18 to begin to accelerate these improvements, and we will be putting further, significant investment in as we continue to build and fully establish the network over the next few years.”
Four major trauma centres will be established in Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh with a view to benefiting around 6,000 of Scotland’s seriously injured patients each year.
Speaking later, Health Secretary Shona Robison suggested it may not take as long as three years to deliver the major trauma facility in Aberdeen.
She said: “Across the whole of Scotland it is going to take at least three years but actually the vast bulk of development in Dundee and Aberdeen will take place in the next year, year-and-a-half.
“They are already getting on with the job and are well placed to start putting things in place. We will see over the next one to two years Dundee and Aberdeen getting up and running.
“Edinburgh and Glasgow will take a little longer than that.”
A new report has also been published by the National Trauma Network Implementation Group, chaired by Dr Catherine Calderwood, the chief medical officer.
It’s recommendations include establishing a steering group, introducing a new ambulance triage tool, a dedicated trauma desk available 24/7 in the ambulance control room, and new equipment and training for all ambulance crews.
Dr Calderwood said: “Today marks an important day in changing trauma care; one that will deliver improved outcomes for injured patients.”
