Tertiary care

Derriford Hospital is the only designated Major Trauma Centre in the South West.
Tertiary care

Specialist and tertiary care

Major trauma centre

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is currently one of the top 10 performing major trauma centres in England. For every 100 severely injured patients, an extra two and a half will survive in Devon and Cornwall because of the expertise and facilities available. Derriford Hospital and the local Commissioners are currently looking at various schemes to enhance trauma care within both the Trust and the Network. 

Derriford Hospital is the only designated Major Trauma Centre in the Peninsula. It offers a number of specialist and tertiary services to a population of approximately 1.2 million  in Devon and Cornwall. These exclusive services include:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Transplant services
  • Neonatal Care
  • Children’s Surgery in a dedicated unit

Neurosurgery

The Department of Neuroradiology provides specialist imaging services to nearly 2 million people in the peninsula. It provides neuroimaging to the South West Neurosurgical Centre and department of neurology and for other specialties such as ear, nose and throat services, cancer and palliative care, Ophthalmology, General Medicine and Endocrinology for the 450,000 people in Plymouth, East Cornwall and South East Devon

Cardiac services

Cardiac services provided at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust are in the state of the art South West Cardiothoracic Centre using the latest techniques and advanced technology. The centre is considered to be one of the leading experts in bypass, valve, and aortic surgery.

Transplants

Transplant surgery at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is provided through the South West Transplant Centre. The Renal unit incorporates dedicated teams on site specialising in Transplantation, Haemodialysis, CAPD, Pre-dialysis, Arterio-Venous access, Renal dietary requirements and staff development.

Neonatal

The Neonatal Unit at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust cares for babies who are born earlier than expected, who have become unwell or who need close observation.  The unit is divided into three main rooms, Intensive Care Nursery and High Dependency Nursery, Special Care Nurseries and Transitional Care Ward. Babies move between these rooms depending on the level of care that they require.

Children's surgery

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is home to the first dedicated children’s surgical suite in the region. This is a major improvement for all children in the area coming for surgery as they can now be treated in a dedicated area, which has been specially redesigned, and cared for by specially trained staff.

The vision for children’s services nationally has been to provide specific care for them in areas away from adult services and also by highly trained staff able to communicate and care for them. The new Children’s Theatres have been a major advance in achieving this with all elective surgery now performed in the new suite and most of the emergency work in daytime hours.