Major Trauma & Rehabilitation Service

Information for patients, parents and carers

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Trauma and Rehabilitaion PIAG 330 (325kB)

What is a Major Trauma Centre?

A Major Trauma Centre (MTC) is a specialised hospital which has the best available skills and equipment to treat patients who have sustained unplanned traumatic injuries.

Alder Hey is a Children’s (Paediatric) Major Trauma Centre within the North West Regional Trauma Network. We receive and care for children from the North West, North Wales and the Isle of Man. Children can be brought to us directly or transferred to us from a local hospital.

What to expect when you first arrive

Upon arrival at Alder Hey, your child’s injuries will be assessed. In order to do this quickly, there may be doctors from different specialties and people performing many tasks at the same time.

This may be very frightening and disorientating for you and your child, but it is necessary to ensure that they are given the best care as quickly as possible. This may include scans, X-Rays or further investigations.

You will meet the Trauma Rehabilitation Coordinator Team and will be allocated a keyworker. The keyworker will be your link throughout your stay and support you to discharge and beyond Alder Hey.

Rehabilitation

Following your child’s injury, you will engage with a range of rehabilitation specialists who will help to optimise your child’s recovery. This may often include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech & language therapists and psychologists. We will discuss and keep you up to date with your child’s rehabilitation plan throughout your stay. This will all be documented on your child’s rehabilitation prescription.

Returning home

When you and your child are ready to return home a supportive and comprehensive discharge plan will be discussed.

On discharge we will complete your child’s rehabilitation prescription and you will receive a copy of this along with timescales for a follow up call. However, the team are available for you to contact should you need to speak to them sooner.

As part of our keyworker role, we will liaise with nursery or school with regards to formulating a plan for their return. This advice will also include returning to activities and/or sport.

Useful numbers

Jo Richardson, Lead Nurse Major Trauma, Telephone: 0797 130 6055

Michelle Ireland, Major Trauma Rehabilitation Coordinator, Telephone: 07976 209 603

Faye Stanley, Major Trauma Rehabilitation Coordinator, Telephone: 0797 130 8239

Natalie Vaughan, Major Trauma Rehabilitation Coordinator, Telephone: 0792 906 6894

Aimee Simpson, Major Trauma Rehabilitation Coordinator, Telephone: 0777 365 7391

Team Email address: [email protected]

Team Telephone number: 0151 252 5821 / Ext: 2821

Spiritual Care Team – The Sanctuary (Tree House)

The Spiritual Care Team are here for all families, whether or not they profess any sort of religious affiliation or faith, who may feel in need of some support. We are based in the lower floor of the Tree House, accessed via the purple lifts to the second floor.

The Sanctuary is offered as a quiet space for anyone who may feel the need to pray or who may just feel the need to seek some respite away from the stress and pressure of life in the hospital.

There may be times when you feel very much alone, especially when so much is happening to help your child, and you may struggle because you feel that you are unable to be in control of what is happening, as you always have been.

As a team, we offer a 24/7 service to anybody who feels that they may need to unload these feelings, to pray, or to have a chat. You may feel the need for some non-clinical support, or just need a listening ear during your time in the Trust.

If so, then at any time, day or night, ask a staff member to contact an on-call member of the Spiritual Care team via switchboard.

Alternatively, visit the Sanctuary which is always open.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS Team) concerns and complaints

PALS is a confidential service to support our patients and their families when concerns or complaints cannot be addressed by ward or clinic staff.

PALS Team: 0151 252 5161

Complaints Team: 0151 252 5374

Useful information about our hospital

You can find out more about visiting our hospital in the visiting section of our website.

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.

PIAG: 330