Our History

In 2009 the National Health Board identified trauma as a priority area for improvement.

Late in 2009 the Minister of Health received a letter from the Quality Improvement Committee (QIC) recommending the establishment of a New Zealand national trauma system to promote a coordinated and organised approach to the delivery of trauma care across the patient journey. The Minister asked the (then) National Health Board to consider the benefits of establishing this type of system.​

In 2010 the National Health Board set about formerly describing New Zealand’s trauma service arrangements. The Board worked to identify what positive outcomes could be achieved by establishing a national trauma system. It did this in close consultation with key stakeholders.

The Board presented its findings in a review later that year. The review outlined several important outcomes for the 2,500 to 3,000 major trauma patients recorded each year.

The review found:

• Patient care was highly vulnerable to time-critical clinical response and decision-making, as well as to any failures across the disjointed continuum of trauma care.
• Mortality (approximately 20 percent) and morbidity could have been avoided in many circumstances
• Service quality and patient outcomes varied widely
• Information for health services about how to respond to major trauma was not widely available

The Board’s 2010 review also considered information from trauma services in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This information highlighted the importance of functional and contemporary trauma systems to achieve improved service. It also highlighted the importance of establishing a national trauma network.

Following the Board’s review, in October 2010 the Minister of Health agreed that major trauma should receive targeted assistance. This assistance would be provided through the National Service Improvement Programme. The Minister directed that a national clinical network for major trauma be formed as the primary mechanism for service improvement. 

By early 2012 the New Zealand National Trauma Network (formerly known as the Major Trauma National Clinical Network) was formally established. The Network included key clinical and other stakeholders from across the country.  

 ACC and MoH have been the key sponsors for the trauma network 

In 2013 the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and Ministry of Health (MoH) approved funding for a business case for the Trauma Network. This support included funding for national clinical lead and program coordinator roles. While MoH and ACC are joint sponsors of the Network, ACC took a lead role in promoting and supporting it from October 2015. Having a high-performance trauma system is of benefit for many ACC clients.

In early 2019, Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission (Te Tāhū Hauora) was contracted by ACC to support the National Trauma Network to carry out quality improvement, data and research work within identified areas of need. Since then, this collaboration has delivered quality improvement initiatives that have reduced mortality and morbidity from trauma in the areas of: 

• Critical haemorrhage 

• Trauma rehabilitation 

• Serious traumatic brain injury 

This successful relationship has continued with the establishment of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and the Trauma National Clinical Network.

Trauma National Clinical Network 

Te Pae Tata, the Interim New Zealand Health Plan 2022 sets out the first two years of health system transformation to improve the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders. It identifies the establishment of regional and national networks as a key step in removing unwarranted variation in access to care, waiting times and clinical practice.

The National Clinical Networks involve hospital and primary care experts from across professional disciplines working with consumers and whānau to influence how we prioritize, and drive system change through the development of national standards and models of care. 

Each network will agree on a work plan which will be signed off by the programme governance group. It will ensure the plans demonstrate ways of working informed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and are focused on the core objectives of seeking consistent equity of access, patient experience and outcomes. 

The strategic objectives of the Trauma National Clinical Network can be found here.