The TARN Foundation is a Charity (charity commission registration number 1199223) which is dedicated to improving the quality of care for people who suffer major injuries through independent audit and research. The Charity Objectives are:

“The advancement of education in the organisation and practice of trauma care for the public benefit (both nationally & internationally) including audit, research and the publication of results from such activities.”

Major Trauma in the UK

Major trauma (severe injury) remains the UK’s biggest killer of children and young people from ages 1 to 50. In 2012 the NHS developed a system of Major Trauma Centres and surrounding Trauma Units, a system which has been shown to improve survival. Major Trauma Centers (MTCs) have all of the facilities required to treat patients with complex injuries to all parts of the body. The Trauma Units (TUs) are able to treat less serious injuries as well as performing initial stabilisation for major trauma patients before transfer to a MTC.

Trauma Networks divide the country into geographical regions and are responsible for the coordination of all of the different service which contribute to the care of Major Trauma patients.

Ambulance services in the UK perform prehospital ‘triage’ – identifying which patients should bypass the nearest hospital and be taken direct to a Major Trauma Center. This means that patients are rapidly taken to the right place.

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