NEW figures show patients arriving at Dorset County Hospital with severe and life-threatening injuries have the best outcomes of all hospitals in the region.

Data from the Trauma Audit Research Network shows the Dorchester hospital is the best performing in Wessex.

DCH is a designated trauma unit so is able to receive severely injured patients and provide life-saving care.

Patients are treated there or stabilised and transferred to the Major Trauma Centre in Southampton if necessary.

Major trauma is the biggest killer for people under the age of 40.

But relatively minor traumatic injuries can still be life threatening in the ageing population and early, high quality medical care is what is needed to return people of all ages back to a quality of life that they can be happy with.

Dr Ian Mew, consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care and the previous director of major trauma at DCH, said the positive figures were the result of hard work at the hospital over recent years.

He said: “We’ve worked hard over the past six years to ensure consultant delivered care in the Emergency Department, day or night, week day or weekend.

“We run joint training exercises with the air ambulance and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit in Southampton and we’re constantly looking to improve our service to our patients.

“It’s clear that this is paying off with better results for patients."

“We’re also starting to get more involved in injury prevention as a trust, specifically looking at reducing deaths on our roads by working with Dorset Police.”

Dr Mew has recently handed the role of director of major trauma on to consultant in emergency medicine Dr Kevin Samarasingha, but will remain an advocate for trauma services throughout the Wessex region.