Impact, evidence and reports

A major traumatic injury describes multiple serious injuries to different parts of the body such as the chest, abdominal area, damage to internal organs, severe burns, as well as knife and gunshot wounds. Nationally, over half of all major traumatic injuries are as a result of a road crash; other common causes are industrial and farming accidents; sporting accidents; assault; falls from a great height and self-harm. Major traumatic injury is the main cause of death of people under the age of 45 and is a major cause of debilitating long-term injuries.

There are around 70,000 major trauma cases in England and Wales every year and around a third of them are treated at a Major Trauma Centre (MTC). This means that every 20 minutes someone is admitted to a MTC in the UK. Immediate treatment for major trauma costs up to £0.4 billion and the annual loss to the economy, due to people unable to work, is between £3.3-£3.7 billion.

The introduction of MTCs in 2014 vastly improved the care and clinical outcomes of this group of patients, increasing chances of survival by 19 per cent and reducing time spent in hospital. Despite the excellent clinical care that patients receive in an NHS MTC, care predominantly focuses on treating the physical injuries. The wider impact of catastrophic injuries can have on life beyond admission to hospital.

Surviving major trauma is just the start. Most do not get the full support they need throughout the daunting process of recovery.

The physical limitations of pain and fatigue caused by injuries can be enormous. 30% of major trauma patients acquire a physical disability which may affect their ability to participate in activities they have done previously.

One in three people who experience major trauma will develop psychological needs, including mental health problems like PTSD and depression.

The strain that a major traumatic injury can put on relationships is multifaceted and can include a change of identity as a person becomes a ‘patient’, or a family member becomes a carer overnight.

We spent more than 8,000 hours supporting 1,526 patients and family members impacted by major trauma.

We facilitated 457 peer support conversations.

We awarded £82,620 in grants for immediate costs and ongoing recovery.

We facilitated over 5,500 minutes of one-on-one peer support.

Patients and family members told us that as a result of Day One’s support:

• 94% felt an increased sense of hope
• 94% felt more in control of their recovery journey
• 100% felt supported
• 100% felt listened to
• 100% felt less isolated

One service user told us: “My son had life-threatening injuries. I just did not know what one day from the next would be like… Day One, leaving the door open for me to call, made a huge difference”