SESIAHS Trauma Service

St George Hospital is the major Trauma Centre for the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service (SESIAHS), which extends from Sydney Harbour in the north to Durras in the south. Heavy industry is concentrated in and around Port Botany, Wollongong and Port Kembla. Lucas Heights Atomic Research Centre is located on the western perimeter of the Area.

In 2004, the estimated resident population of SESIAHS was 1,162,580 representing 17% of the total population of New South Wales (NSW). The population of the Area is increasing, with the highest growth rate recorded in the Sydney LGA. NSW Health projects that the population of SESIAHS will reach 1.2 million by 2011. As a result of commuters to Sydney, universities, beaches, airport and industrial sites such as Port Botany, the northern part of the Area’s population is inflated by 750,000 people daily.

Children under 5 years constitute 6% of our population and older people aged 70 and over make up about 10%.

SESIAHS Trauma

SESIAHS hospitals received 23,175 admissions due to injury and poisoning in 2003/04. These are only a proportion of the 300,000 patients that attend our emergency departments. As a Major Trauma Service, St George Hospital is a Tertiary care facility, we provide all clinical specialties including Trauma Rehabilitation services. Consultation, leadership, research and education binds a Major Trauma Service to its networks, together with an integrated, prospective performance improvement program, which supports excellence in clinical management.

Further information on the levels of trauma services can be found at NSW Institute of Trauma and Injury Management Website http://www.itim.nsw.gov.au

St. George Hospital Trauma Team evaluates approximately 2,000 major trauma patients a year and admits more than 840 patients, of which over 240 have sustained serious, life-threatening injuries and generally required intensive care, operative and extensive recovery and rehabilitation care. In addition to being a major trauma service, St George Hospital is one of the first hospitals in Australia to incorporate a Trauma Case Management Program to increase efficiency, reduce length of stay, and minimise complications among admitted patients