Funding discussions about acute trauma
27 January 2010
The Medical Research Council (MRC) announced today that it is in discussions with the Ministry of Defence to fund research into acute trauma and injury.
Trauma is a serious health problem, with notable social and economic costs, having a major impact on people in both civilian and military settings. Acute trauma and injury includes all sudden injury, for example, by blast, road accident or train crash. It often affects young healthy men and women and has a significant impact on their lives, from the long term nature of recovery to the disability associated with their injuries. In the UK, 12,200 deaths (2008) each year are a direct result of injuries. Annually, injuries lead to 720,000 hospital admissions and 6 million visits to emergency departments.
Current military research programmes have provided new insights into acute trauma care. Linking these results to UK university researchers will provide further information about injury and recovery and underpin strategic research already being undertaken by the MRC including laboratory work on the methods of healing, repair and regeneration, for example involving stem cells.
Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, said:
“The MRC is committed to expanding trauma and rehabilitation research. There is a great opportunity to link innovative laboratory and current research from other parties into the delivery of acute care and long-term rehabilitation that will benefit not just military personnel but also impact significantly on the trauma care provided in the NHS.”
Surgeon Vice-Admiral Philip Raffaelli, The Surgeon General, added:
“This exciting collaborative research partnership builds on the considerable military experience of major trauma management in Iraq and Afghanistan, promotes greater understanding of tissue repair mechanisms and offers considerable future benefit to military and civilian injured patients alike.”
A working committee, which will include experts in this field including Professor Keith Willett, the Department of Health’s Director of Trauma Care, will provide recommendations to the MRC funding board.
Professor Willett added:
“This is a most timely and important research focus, coinciding with the planned implementation of NHS regional networks, to ensure the most advanced specialist care for people suffering major injury.”
Discussions are also being held with similar US collaborations, who are already developing extensive programmes of military trauma and regenerative medicine research, to share key findings.
Ends
For further information, please contact Kerry Teakle, Interim Senior Press Officer at the MRC on 0207 670 5302 or press.office@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
