Action plan and care pathway

The goal of this workstream is that all patients with a serious traumatic brain injury (sTBI), defined as a pre-intubation GCS score of <9 and an abnormal CT head scan, are managed within a neuroscience centre, irrespective of their need for neurosurgery.

In collaboration with subject matter experts and key stakeholders, guidelines (aka action plans) have been developed to promote equitable access to specialist services for the patients who are most likely to benefit from admission to a neuroscience centre.

The action plans are specific to each of Aotearoa New Zealand’s four trauma regions. They are designed to:

• specify clinical criteria that warrants the transfer of a sTBI patient to a neuroscience centre
• introduce a single point of contact for referring clinicians
• establish actions in cases where the patient is not transferred for specialist neuroscience care.

The regional action plans and associated rationale and evidence-based resources can be found below.

Northern region

Auckland region sTBI action plan (2.5MB, pdf)

Northern region sTBI action plan (2.6MB, pdf)

Rationale and evidence (1.5MB, pdf)

Te Manawa Taki (Midland) region

Te Manawa Taki sTBI action plan (2.6MB, pdf)

Rationale and evidence (1.6MB, pdf) 

Central region

Central region sTBI action plan (2.5MB, pdf)

Rationale and evidence (1.5MB, pdf)

Southern region

Christchurch sTBI action plan (2.5MB, pdf)

Christchurch: rationale and evidence (1.5MB, pdf)

Southern region sTBI action plan (2.5MB, pdf)

Southern: rationale and evidence (1.5MB, pdf)