Current Services Available Following
Brain Injury In Doncaster

• The first point of access is usually when attending the accident and emergency department at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. The severity of the injury will then determine if the person remains in hospital for treatment. Many who attend with mild/moderate injury are assessed by the triage nurse and will then be checked by a doctor. If the injury is assessed as mild the person will usually be discharged home with an advice sheet. This advice sheet gives instructions to return if they experience certain physical problems, many people do return with the symptoms and are checked out by a doctor again.

• If the injury was severe they would be transferred to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital at Sheffield, which is the neuro regional centre for Doncaster. If a intensive care bed was not available there they may be admitted onto the intensive care unit at DRI.

• Following the intensive care or on transfer back from Sheffield they would usually transfer back to either a general surgical ward or to an orthopaedic ward if they also suffered fractures.

• At this point the Consultant in rehabilitation Medicine may have received a referral to assess the person for rehabilitation. If he feels they are suitable, he will request the multi disciplinary team make an initial assessment. This will either lead to a transfer to Magnolia at Tickhill Road Hospital which is a neurological rehabilitation ward or the person will remain at DRI. Further re-assessments will be carried out if rehab was not felt appropriate because it was too early. Eventually admission to Magnolia will be made or patients may go directly home.

• Some patients, who have suffered injuries in other geographical areas, may receive their rehabilitation in that area and return home when ready for discharge.

• To continue rehabilitation in the community many are referred to the neuro rehab outreach team, few referrals are received directly to the outreach team from either the surgical or the orthopaedic wards and none are received at present from A+E.

• Many people who receive no initial follow up access GPs, who often refer on to neurologists or to mental health services if they are not aware of brain injury services. Neurologists will often then refer to the outreach team requesting assessment, treatment and advice.

??? Link to PCT central website for NHS services.