Objectives Evaluating the impact of relocating a regional neuroscience service on major trauma patients.

Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 01/08/2013 to 31/07/2017.

Subjects Patients≥20 years with a TBI in the 2 years pre-relocation (cohort 1) and 2 years post-relocation (cohort 2).

Methods Patients were identified using the TARN registry. Comparison of the cohorts for demographics, type of neurosurgical input, site of first presentation and the times to first CT head and operation was conducted using cross-tabulation, percentages and statistical analysis (SPSS).

Results 30% of patients in cohort 1 (112 or 373) were admitted in neurosurgery. This increased to 40% of patients in cohort 2 (181 of 450). There was an increase in admissions for monitoring (70% vs 82%). Patients<60 years had a higher increment in admission (+16 points) than patients≥60 years (+8 points). A strong association was found between the relocation of the neuroscience service and the increase in proportion of patients first transported to the major trauma centre (63% vs 74%; p=0.037). There was a significant decrease in the mean time to operation (3.9 hour vs 2.0 hour; p=0.008) and no significant difference in the mean time to first CT head (1.3 hour vs 1.4 hour; p=0.689).

Conclusions The relocation of neurosurgery has resulted in a significant increase in admission of patients<60 years with TBI in neurosurgery for monitoring, an increase in the proportion of patients first transported to the MTC and a reduction in the time to operation.