Deaths from trauma injuries could be reduced by 50% if a major trauma network was introduced in Ireland.
The Annual Major Trauma Conference is underway at the Mater Hospital in Dublin and is hearing from experts in the field and from doctors who work in trauma centres around the world.
One life a week could be saved in Ireland and many more people prevented from life changing injury if one was introduced here.
It would mean that victims wouldn't need to be transferred to another hospital for specialist treatment.
Professor Mark Fitzgerald, a leading trauma expert from Alfred Hospital in Melbourne has traveled for the conference, he explains how it works over there: 'People are met by a team of nurses and doctors of various specialties and everything is done in that area so all of the information is gathered very quickly because between half and 90% of all the errors that contribute to death occur in the first 30 minutes of arrival
Also discussed at the conference was how taxes from drivers could be used to fund such trauma centres, as is done in Australia
Dr Fran O'Keefe consultant in emergency medicine at the Mater says it's something that needs to be considered: 'The benefit is to the people and their families, it pays for their initial care and their rehabilitation. It would have to be adapted for the Irish system but it's something we have to consider'.
The Annual Major Trauma Conference has heard recommendations in a report by the Department of health for two major trauma centres, one at CUH in Cork and the other at a hospital in Dublin.
