Page 1 - Clinical Connections Summer 2016

CLINICAL CONNECTIONS RVC Clinical Services Newsletter Summer 2016
World News
RECOGNITION FOR VETERINARY TRAUMA CENTRE
The Royal Veterinary College’s Small Animal Referrals service has been designated as the rst Level I Veterinary Trauma Centre (VTC) outside of North America.
The designation was awarded after a lengthy evaluation by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT).
RVC Small Animal Referrals is based at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (QMHA) near Hat eld, Hertfordshire. To become a VTC, the team had to demonstrate that it could respond effectively and holistically to any trauma case. As well as having exceptional facilities, the clinical team was able to demonstrate that patients and clients bene t from its transdisciplinary approach to veterinary care because of the wealth of different specialists at the hospital.
The designation is evidence of the
strength in depth of the specialist services that the RVC can provide to referring vets and their clients. In order to be recognised as Level I centre the Small Animal Referral service had to show how its team could meet every need of traumatised patients including provision of expert anaesthesia, neurology, internal medicine, cardiology, ophthalmology, surgery, diagnositics and rehabilitation.Those core services have to be available within standard business hours and emergency services must be provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Centres are also expected to provide leadership in veterinary education and contribute to research, which, as a teaching hospital within a university setting, have always been key elements of the referral
team’s role at the RVC.
Welcoming the decision, Dan Chan,
Head of Emergency and Critical Care and the RVC’s VTC lead, said: “This has been a fantastic achievement that recognises
our expertise, passion and commitment to total patient care.We have been investing in and developing our capabilities in support of our Veterinary Trauma Centre for over three years and we were commended for having an exceptionally strong application and many of our innovations would serve as a model for other aspiring institutions.”
Emphasising the value to referrers, clients and animals of having access to such a centre, Professor Chan added: “The ethos of the Veterinary Trauma Centre initiative is that there should be a constant
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