I beleive the Faculty signed up the speciality to manage head injuries. If my memory serves me correct there were a few lead professors. One from our speciality and one from Orthopaedics, they practised not a million miles away from where Corrie is filmed. Rocky will know who they were.
One of the Professors again if my memory serves me correct was follicularly challenged. I can remember him standing up every year and giving the esteemed lecture to the faculty on MTOS and laterally TARN. I cannot recollect the slides ever having changed significantly once in 5 years, if my memory serves me right.
Like most things they have reached the age of retirement and moved on to pastures new leaving a legacy and no doubt a lot of work that has to be implemented. I understand that they are quite active in medico-legal work now.
Every year or two I get a circular asking me if we have implemented the guidelines of the RCS Viz a ziz head injury management. My answer is no.
Another esteemed colleague of mine who held a chair in disaster medicine was instrumental in suggesting to the powers that be the advantages of trick and treat. If I can remember he was not follicularly challenged but was the opposite and was quite hirsuite in the peribuccal region.
Nevertheless as sure as eggs are eggs we will be faced with a fait accompli and have to manage head injuries. The general Surgeons are washing their hands and what happens when no one wants the patients they send them to A & E. The idealists on the list will rub their hands in glee and pontificate about the wonderful chance for the speciality. However like the Modernisation and Collaberative Study there will be no and I repeat no extra resources. A & E Departments will be expected to cope. Any extra funding will be for data collection and project managers.
This will be another task along with:
20 min door to needle times
4 Hour turn around times
Trick and treat that will have to be implemented at all costs.
What are the experiences of the list as regards head injury management? As the list can deduce I have a deep and lasting suspicion of quasi acaedemics. They stand up at International Meetings and pontificate and yet expect other people to do the work.
PS Happy Xmas and a Prosperous New Year to all the Hard Workers on the list, even in this season of good will on earth, I extend it to Govt. Health Advisors.
Danny McGeehan
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