SOUTH AFRICA— The Trauma Society of South Africa (TSSA), has certified Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital emergency department as an accredited urban level II trauma centre.

The recognition as a level II in Cape Town, certifies that the multispecialty private hospital can receive and handle complex trauma and emergency care patients.

Moreover, the prestigious designation places it alongside Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital’s level I trauma centre and Netcare Kuilsriver Hospital’s level III trauma centre in the Western Cape.

The TSSA accreditation officially certifies that Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital has the necessary medical expertise and systems aligned with international best practices in trauma medicine to provide 24-hour emergency care as needed in a populous urban centre.

Mande Toubkin, general manager of emergency, trauma, transplant, and CSI at Netcare applauded the certification noting that this sets Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital up to provide initial definitive trauma care regardless of the severity of injury, with 24-hour medical cover, including the common specialties.

“Patients who are treated at the right level trauma centre for their injuries at the right time have improved survival rates and demonstrably better outcomes,” Toubkin added.

Toubkin noted that as a level II trauma centre, Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital includes the core surgical and emergency disciplines and critical-care services supported by wider multidisciplinary specialist care, in this case with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular, maternal, neonatal, and paediatric care, among others.

Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital is a multidisciplinary healthcare facility situated in Sunningdale, Cape Town.

The hospital operates a 24-hour emergency department which has now boost a level II trauma centre, an on-site helipad to airlift critically injured or ill patients requiring specialised care to our facility, and a Netcare 911 base from where paramedics respond to emergencies. 

The Netcare hospital is recognised, amongst others, for its comprehensive cardiac treatments and cutting-edge care of premature and other vulnerable babies.

The private health facilities include six theatres, a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, neonatal, adult, and paediatric intensive care units, as well as maternity, paediatric, medical, surgical and day wards.

It also has Pathology, radiology and allied health services, a wound care clinic, and a mother and baby clinic, complementing the specialists’ and nurses’ care.

The in-hospital retail pharmacy dispenses prescription and over-the-counter medicine to the public and provides clinical pharmacy services to patients.

Trauma centres also need accreditation

TSSA accreditation requires that trauma facilities and emergency departments be equipped to set standards and staffed by appropriately qualified emergency doctors and nursing personnel.

Critically, it also ensures that patients who have suffered more complex multiple trauma injuries can be promptly transferred to a higher-level trauma facility within the region should that be necessary.

“This is because, in TSSA-accredited facilities, systems are in place to ensure prompt assessment, resuscitation and stabilisation in line with defined treatment protocols for quality care and patient safety,” said Toubkin.

The TSSA’s stringent criteria provide assurance that the public and healthcare providers can have confidence in the quality and consistency of trauma care provided.

The assessment offers an objective benchmark, and the accreditation level is helpful for local emergency medical service providers in identifying the nearest, most appropriate trauma centre for a patient’s specific emergency needs.

Accreditation processes, such as those employed by the TSSA to benchmark trauma centres within South Africa, have been shown internationally to encourage best practices, patient advocacy, patient safety, and improved clinical outcomes.

This contributes to the strengthening of provincial and national systems of trauma treatment, which ultimately benefits the communities served by accredited trauma facilities such as Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital.

“Quality trauma care is built on strong trauma systems, and Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital’s recent accreditation strengthens trauma care throughout the Western Cape as it also supports the only private level 1 trauma centre in the province, that is Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital,” reiterated Toubkin.  

To ensure consistency of care, accredited trauma centres must also report on the outcomes of the treatments provided for injuries on an ongoing basis.

“We congratulate the doctors and staff of the emergency department on this achievement and thank the Netcare trauma team for their leadership towards this goal,” says Alan Abrahams, general manager of Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital.

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