Before arriving at Duke, Brett Rocos, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and a surgeon on the Duke spine team, was asked by the hospital where he formally worked, the Royal London Hospital, if he would be willing to have a camera crew follow his team as they treated cases for a present-tense United Kingdom (UK) medical documentary named, Emergency.
Rocos exclaimed, “I was delighted to show them the work we did as a spine division.”
In the UK capital, a world-first system of hospitals, air ambulances, and paramedics provides a safety net for 10 million lives. Known as the London Major Trauma System, it has improved survival rates for primary trauma patients by 50 percent. With access across this system, Emergency provided four serial episodes following the minute-by-minute decisions trauma teams make to treat the most severe cases: from life-saving interventions at the roadside to A&E critical care, from cutting-edge surgery to painstaking rehabilitation.
Dr. Rocos shared, “It was incredible to be on this series doing my job. It’s great to show the capabilities of modern spine surgery and how we train upcoming orthopaedic surgeons in their daily techniques. It was also brilliant to show the role we have in the recovery of trauma patients with such extensive injuries. I think it’s essential that the public has an appreciation of the complexity of care to see how well we can look after them in times of need.”
He continued, “It’s also great to show that despite the challenges of modern healthcare, the patient and their recovery remain at the heart of what we’re trying to do, regardless of where we work.
Dr. Rocos’ contributions are in Episodes 2 and 3 via the Channel Four Television Corporation. View information about the series.
Facts about the London Major Trauma System
• Trauma is one of the significant challenges of modern society. It kills 6 million people a year worldwide and 16,000 in the UK – and this number is rising.
• Trauma is the leading cause of death in those under the age of 44.
• For every trauma fatality, between three and four patients survive with a severe or permanent disability
• The London Major Trauma System is a unique network of 39 hospitals comprising four major trauma centers, 35 trauma units, ambulances, and air ambulance services.
• It was set up in 2010, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020
• The four major trauma centers are all based in London and sit at the heart of a regional network. The Royal London Hospital - North East London and Essex St George’s Hospital - South West London and Surrey King’s College Hospital - South East London, Kent and Medway St Mary’s Hospital - North West London
• The 35 trauma centers are hospitals in Greater London and the home counties.
• The London Major Trauma System treats over 12,000 people yearly, including the smaller trauma centers and rehab.
• Survival rates increased by 50 percent over five years, saving an estimated 610 lives – more than a 747 plane full of passengers.
This series was filmed during the busiest two weeks at the end of July 2022, filming 24/7 across the four major trauma centers, London’s Ambulance Service, London’s Air Ambulance Charity, and two trauma units – William Harvey in Kent and North Middlesex Hospital.
They filmed patients throughout the trauma pathway, from roadside critical interventions to the ICU, from surgery to rehabilitation, to reflect the variety of specialist treatments that went into saving patients’ lives and putting them back together again.