New National Clinical Director For Trauma Care Appointed

Professor Keith Willett has been appointed the new National Clinical Director for Trauma Care at the Department of Health, Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced recently.


Professor Willett will take up this newly created position on 1 April 2009 working for the Department of Health three days a week. He will lead in the development of national clinical policy for trauma care including the implementation of recommendations agreed in the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report, working closely with the NHS, professional bodies and the voluntary and independent sector.


The establishment of the role of National Clinical Director for trauma care follows Lord Darzi's report on the NHS, High Quality Care For All which sets out an ambitious aim to put quality at the centre of the NHS through, amongst other things, championing clinical leadership at all levels in the health service. The National Clinical Director for Trauma Care will ensure that trauma care services are at the highest quality across the country.


Health Secretary Alan Johnson said:

"Trauma care needs to be recognised as a specialist form of medicine. Patients who are severely and critically injured rely on the expertise of many specialist professionals - from critical care doctors to neurosurgeons. With this appointment today, we will see further improvements in the planning of trauma services and more specialist trauma centres.
"Professor Keith Willett is a highly respected clinical leader, well equipped to improve quality of trauma care services throughout England and I am extremely pleased to be welcoming him to the Department."


Professor Keith Willett said:

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead on these important policies for the care of the seriously injured patient and the care of older people with fractures. Many of the components of good care exist in the NHS but lack structure and focus. At such a vulnerable time patients need to know the regional and local systems are in place - so wherever they are, the NHS will deliver that critical care."


Professor Willett will remain active in clinical medicine and continue working part-time as Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at the University of Oxford and as Honorary Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon with the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, where he is currently employed.


Notes


1. Professor Keith Willett was appointed through open competition and will work for the Department on a part-time basis, working approximately three days per week with two days allocated to clinical practice and supervising a research programme.


2. The National Clinical Director for Trauma Care will play an extremely important role in the development of clinical policy for trauma care that builds on the vision documents produced by each Strategic Health Authority as part of the Next Stage Review. These documents also respond to the 11 recommendations outlined in the report by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) relating to all aspects of the care of patients with severe trauma.


3. Professor Keith Willett is Chair of the British Orthopaedic Association's Trauma Committee, a National Executive and Board Member with the Trauma Audit & Research Network (TARN) and a past President of the British Trauma Society. He has published research on acetabular and pelvic fractures, fractures in the elderly, limb fracture surgery, fracture biomechanics, accident prevention and clinical outcome studies of orthopaedic trauma surgery techniques.

Department of Health, UK