Celebrating Trauma Research in the Thames Valley

The conference, hosted by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (RBFT) in association with the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network: Thames Valley & South Midlands, and Thames Valley Trauma Network focussed on trauma and emergency research in Berkshire and on raising the profile of health related research across the Thames Valley. 

High profile speakers included Mr Amar Malhas (Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at RBFT), Mr Mark Ainsworth-Smith (Consultant Pre-Hospital Care Practitioner at South Central Ambulance Service), Dr Liza Keating (Consultant in Emergency Medicine at RBFT) and organiser Mr Andrew McAndrew (Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon at RBFT).     .

The presenters, at the forefront of clinical and academic research, explained the value, importance and impact of emergency and trauma research for patients in the Thames Valley and beyond, and described pioneering studies taking place, with research spanning areas such as pre-hospital and post-trauma in the emergency department, as well as trauma and orthopaedics.

Prizes were awarded to Dr Sophie Stanger, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Helen Pocock, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for their podium presentations, with the top prize going to Dr Owain Davies from the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board at the Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor.

Mr McAndrew delivered the welcome speech and summarised the main messages from the conference, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in trauma research, including opportunities for further work locally, nationally and internationally:  “There is a national drive to deliver high-quality clinical research, so that patients can benefit from new and better treatments. In the Thames Valley, we are committed to this vision by continuing to develop our opportunities for collaboration and delivering world class research in the NHS which contributes to improving the care and treatments we deliver to patients and the public.”

February 2017