Major Trauma Psychology

The Major Trauma Psychology Service provides emotional support to inpatients on the Major Trauma Ward (MTW) at Aintree University Hospital, who have experienced traumatic injuries. This may be as a result of things like falls, road traffic accidents, workplace injuries, assaults and suicide attempts.

We often provide support with:

• Adjustment to injuries (including brain injuries)
• Anxiety/panic
• Low mood
• Acute traumatic stress symptoms e.g. images of the event/flashbacks, nightmares
• Enhancing understanding on the common emotional responses to traumatic events/injuries.

We may also signpost people to/advise them how to access support for:

• Financial/legal issues
• On-going emotional support following discharge
• Alcohol/drug use.

We sometimes offer assessments that look at the effects of brain injury, in conjunction with any assessments undertaken by Occupational Therapy colleagues on the ward.

Support is provided to patients and family members (if needed), during their stay on the MTW. The service is available 1.5 days per week (Monday and Thursday), on the MTW.

If we have capacity, we will try to see inpatients that were admitted on the Major Trauma pathway, but who are located on a different ward on the Aintree Site.

For patients whose traumatic injuries are as a result of a suicide attempt, any input that we may provide, follows on from an assessment completed by the hospital’s Mental Health Liaison Team.

Unfortunately, there is no funding at present, to follow up any patients after their discharge from the ward.