Image: Chris Fossey
The 2022 Prince Michael Premier Award has been presented to a UK-based project which has the potential to change post-crash response and save lives.
The EXtrication In Trauma (EXIT) Project was founded back in 2007 by professor Tim Nutbeam and Rob Fenwick.
The project received funding from the Road Safety Trust in 2017, in order to carry out further research into the effect of extrication techniques applied to casualties following road traffic collisions.
Its work has explored a different approach to how emergency services respond to motor vehicle collisions to reduce both deaths and disabilities.
Last year there were 128,209 casualties and 1,558 deaths in Great Britain caused by motor vehicle collisions. In the same period, more than 7,000 patients needed to be assisted to leave the vehicle by a process known as extrication.
During this process, which has been the ‘gold standard’ since the 1960’s patients may remain in the vehicles for on average 30 minutes as slow, careful movements are used to avoid potential spinal injuries.
Tim and his team have found that the ‘gold standard’ may be increasing the rate of death and injury and that there is now a case to change it.
Their research recommends that self-extrication should be delivered wherever possible with the extrication goal of minimising entrapment time.
Professor Tim Nutbeam, consultant in emergency medicine, said: “We are extremely grateful to have been recognised for this prestigious award as it provides us with further opportunity to spread the message about our research.
“It adds the missing piece to our jigsaw to improve patient outcomes and saves lives both in the UK and internationally.”
Announcing the award, HRH Prince Michael of Kent said: “The one element which so often receives poor attention is post-crash response.
“My awards have also always sought to acknowledge innovation as well as success. So often we have accepted that a particular approach is the right one, sometimes without strong evidence to support this.
“My Premier Award goes to a project which has generated detailed new evidence, the potential to change operational methods and save many lives. Congratulations to Doctor Nutbeam and his outstanding team behind the EXIT project.”
An excellent project – challenging accepted “best practice”, testing it against hard evidence, and producing new, practical guidance that will improve outcomes for crash victims and save money. I hope we will see more collaboration of trauma, emergency services and road safety sectors like this. A good example of delivering the Post-Crash Response element of the Safe System. Congrats to all involved.
David Davies, Westminster
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