The North Staffordshire Trauma System.

The first trauma centre in the UK has been established at the North Staffordshire Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent. The early development of this centre and the wider system within which it functions is described. The Trauma Centre and corresponding evaluation project by the University of Sheffield have been funded by the Department of Health. The outcome for injured patients treated in the new trauma system over a 4-year period will be compared with outcomes from existing systems in and around comparator sites in Preston and Hull. These findings will inform the debate on the future of trauma care in the UK.