Leading Nottingham surgeon appointed to regional role
A leading major trauma surgeon in Nottingham has been appointed to a regional task force which aims to reduce violent crime in the county. Dr Adam Brooks has been appointed as the Vice Chair for the Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).
The units, which are being set up across the country following financial investment from the Government, will bring together different organisations, including the police, local government, health, community leaders and other key partners to tackle violent crime by understanding its root causes. The new units will be responsible for identifying what is driving violent crime in the area and coming up with a co-ordinated response.
Dr Brooks, a liver and pancreatic surgeon and major trauma consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), is Clinical Director for the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre at Queen’s Medical Centre and has been at the forefront of raising awareness of the consequences of violent crime, including knife crime.
Dr Brooks said: “As a hospital, we inevitably see the damage that serious and violent crime can do to its victims and we are called upon to treat injuries such as knife wounds and assaults. A key aim of the VRU will be to look at ways to reduce the instances of these injuries, so that rather than saving lives in hospital we can prevent people becoming victims in the first place.
“I’m incredibly proud to have been named as the Vice Chair for the Nottinghamshire unit and to enhance the work we have already done at the Trust to highlight the consequences of violent crime.”
QMC in Nottingham is home to the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre, which opened seven years ago. Since then we’ve treated and cared for more than 11,000 patients and saved more than 650 additional lives. It covers a catchment of four million and is the busiest in the country.
It is one of a national network of specialist centres which concentrate expertise and resources to give the best possible care to major trauma patients.
Dr Brooks added: “Major Trauma Centres deal with the victims of stabbings and shootings as well as car and motorbike accidents and falls. All major cities have regrettably seen significant increases in knife crime and major trauma centres such as Nottingham are saving many more of these victims than ever before thanks to our expertise.
“We are working very closely with our partners, including Nottinghamshire Police and Nottingham City Council to reduce knife crime through education, including through the excellent input from the Redthread Charity, who support young people avoid becoming victims of violent crime again and our Stop the Bleed programme which teaches life-saving skills to members of the community.”