Department of Health

Regional and rural trauma services

Key messages

  • Victorian regional and rural trauma services are designated as Regional Trauma Services, Urgent Care Services and Primary Care Services.
  • Regional Trauma Services operate out of major regional centres and provide resuscitation and stabilisation of trauma patients before transportation.
  • Urgent Care Services and Primary Care Services provide more limited resuscitation and stabilisation of patients prior to transportation.

Victoria's regional and rural trauma services provide a first response for trauma patients within three descending levels of care: Regional Trauma Services, Urgent Care Services and Primary Care Services.

Resuscitation, stabilisation and transportation

Rural and regional trauma services provide resuscitation and stabilisation of major trauma patients and organise patient transport to a Major Trauma Service (MTS). They may also provide definitive care for a limited number of trauma patients where their injuries are assessed, in agreement with Adult Retrieval Victoria or with a Major Trauma Service, as not requiring a transfer.

Regional and rural trauma services provide patient transfer to MTS through Adult Retrieval Victoria.

Regional Trauma Services

Regional Trauma Services (RTS) are located in major regional centres and receive appropriate referrals from surrounding catchment areas.

RTS provide resuscitation and stabilisation of major trauma patients prior to their transfer to a MTS. They also provide definitive care for a limited number of major trauma patients where their injuries are assessed, in agreement with an MTS, as not requiring a transfer.

Urgent Care Services

Urgent Care Services (UCS) are located in small rural communities where higher levels of trauma care are not available.

UCS provides initial resuscitation and a limited stabilisation capacity prior to early transfer to a Regional or Major Trauma Service.

Primary Care Services

Primary Care Services (PCS) are located in small rural communities and provide limited resuscitation prior to early transfer to a Regional or Major Trauma Service.

Locate a local trauma service

Find local trauma services using the regional trauma service location map.

Regional trauma service coordinators

Region Phone
Barwon South West Region (03) 5226 4661
Gippsland Region (03) 5177 2632
Grampians Region (03) 5333 6026
Loddon Mallee Region (03) 5434 5609
Hume Region (03) 5722 0978

Downloads

Trauma services in rural Victoria
docx 44 KB
Regional trauma service locations map
pdf 1.82 MB

Reviewed 05 October 2015

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