Day One Trauma Support, a service pioneered by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2014, has announced its official launch as the first national independent charity supporting survivors of major traumatic injuries on UK-wide scale.
Day One, which was founded by leading orthopedic surgeon, Professor Peter Giannoudis, has until now been operating in solely in West Yorkshire, under the umbrella of the Trust. Now its unique model of care will be the blueprint for major trauma support nationwide.
Day One was created to offer financial, legal, practical and emotional support to help people cope with the wider implications of life-changing injuries, such as those resulting from car accidents, sporting accidents, physical attacks or falls from height.
The charity, which has supported more than 1,000 patients locally since its inception, now looks to extend its reach to the 27 major trauma centres across the country to ensure that no one is left to cope with the impact of traumatic injuries alone. While some rehabilitation support already exists for neurological injuries, Day One will serve a wider tranche of patients, including those with muscular-skeletal conditions, for whom no existing support exists.
Day One offers a range of support, including emergency funding for accommodation for families needing to be close to their loved on in the aftermath of an incident, as well as longer-term funding to help survivors adapt their housing or purchase equipment. Legal expertise is offered via Day One’s pro bono partners, as well as access to counselling, advice with welfare benefits, and befriending from its dedicated team of volunteer Peer Supporters.
Patients are matched in person or by telephone with peer supporters who have had similar accidents or injuries and can listen to their anxieties, empathise, and share their own experience of recovery.
Day One’s fresh ambitions are already coming to fruition with the creation of a new Day One Case Worker post confirmed to work with patients admitted to the Aintree Major Trauma Centre, at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
As the charity expands, it aspires to have presence across all 27 Major Trauma Centres across the country. In future, Day One will look to provide wraparound support for patients, via a mixture of Day One Case Workers, Peer Support Volunteers, and help from their legal panel and other associated partners.
Jacqui Moorhead, Lead Major Trauma Specialist Nurse at Leeds Hospitals Trust, said:
“When working with people coping with traumatic injuries I get asked a lot of questions such as, ‘how am I going to support my family if I can’t return to work immediately?’, “who do I get advice from?”, and “is there anyone I can talk to who has gone through the same thing?”.
“Day One’s support during hospital stays, and helping with aspects like providing equipment at home, means there are fewer barriers to discharge, so we can get people home from hospital safer and sooner.
“I am so excited for Day One to become the first national charity supporting survivors of trauma. It will be a light in the dark for so many people and I hope it continues to go from strength to strength.”
Professor Peter Giannoudis, Day One Founder and President explains:
“The launch of Day One Trauma Support as a national charity is a huge milestone, enabling us to work towards realising our ambition to provide equitable support to trauma patients, wherever they are being treated across the country.
“NHS staff who treat and rehabilitate major trauma patients in emergency care, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, physiotherapy and clinical psychology do a great job delivering excellent clinical outcomes, but by bringing Day One to their Trust they can be more confident that their patients’ wider needs are met helping to facilitate their recovery and preventing issues such as depression taking hold once people are discharged from hospital.”
Julian Hartley, CEO of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“I am delighted that Day One is now able to share more widely the expertise it has developed alongside our clinicians not just in the Leeds Major Trauma Centre, but also in allied services and throughout the wider Major Trauma Network across West Yorkshire. It means our patients and their families are fully supported during their hospital stay and beyond, as they transition back home and continue along their recovery journey.”
Simon Scott, Clinical Director for Major Trauma at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The Major Trauma Centre at Aintree University Hospital prides itself on the exceptional care it provides to patients with major traumatic injury, pioneering new surgeries and pathways of care to ensure the very best outcomes. Now, through Day One, we can offer our patients another layer of care which will help support and improve their long-term recovery and quality of life once they leave hospital.”
Around 1000 individuals and their families have been supported by Day One’s work in Leeds since 2014, amongst these are Nick Godbehere, whose son, Charlie, was seriously injured in a car accident in 2019.
Charlie suffered severe abdominal injuries and his bowel was ruptured in two places. His sister Emma, who was also in the car suffered minor injuries but was traumatised by the accident. Nick’s father, the driver, sadly passed away as a result of his injuries.
The family were put in touch with one of Day One’s legal partners who were able to provide advice on their insurance claim and they also received immediate financial assistance from the Emergency Fund to pay for the cost of new clothing for the children whilst they were being treated in the hospital. Nick said of the support:
“Emma’s shoes had come off in the crash and because of his injuries Charlie needed large baggy clothes. Everyone at Day One is kind and compassionate, but they also have lots of knowledge about where to go for extra support. It meant so much to just have that help in our hour of need.”
Lucy Nickson, CEO of Day One Trauma Support, said:
“We are extremely proud to be launching Day One as the first national charity for survivors of major traumatic injuries. Patients who have multiple serious injuries receive exceptional clinical care from the NHS, but we know that patients often face many years adjusting to the often devastating effect of their injuries or disabilities and indeed, rehabilitation and processing their traumatic event can be a life-long process.
“Having evolved Day One’s services in Leeds since 2014, we know that many people need support above and beyond the NHS to make the best possible recovery. For some people, support from Day One has meant the difference between keeping or losing their home, accessing financial support and feeling positive that they can rebuild their life after major trauma.
“There isn’t any other charity in the country that works specifically to meet the needs of this group of patients, and we are delighted that Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, through their Aintree Major Trauma Centre recognise how our support can reduce the worry of patients and improve their outcomes. The LUH Foundation Trust is the first to embrace our vision to have a presence in every Major Trauma Centre in the country and we are absolutely delighted to be able to work with them on the next step on the Day One journey.”