Hospitals. Trauma without crisis.

Reorganising orthopaedic consultant rotas to ensure that each week one consultant undertakes five dedicated trauma sessions has resulted in significant improvements. The changes have reduced the average length of stay by two days, reduced walts for first appointments in the fracture clinic to within 24 hours and yielded potential savings of almost 350,000 Pounds a year at a time when admissions are rising by 18 per cent a year. The project involved massive cultural change and took 18 months from inception to review to ensure the support and involvement of consultants and other staff.