Australia's only accredited veterinary Trauma Centres
SASH Trauma Centre Highlights
- SASH has the only two veterinary Trauma Centres in Australia
- A centre of excellence for 24/7 care for trauma patients
- Available at SASH North Ryde & SASH Western Sydney
Not all emergency vet hospitals are the same. Where you choose to take your pet in an emergency will often have an impact on outcome. As Australia’s only VetCOT Trauma Centres, the SASH network provides outstanding emergency and critical care, unrivalled by any other veterinary hospital nationwide.
What is trauma?
In veterinary medicine, trauma refers to any life-threatening and critical physical injury. Common examples include:
- Motor vehicle accidents (hit by car)
- Animal attacks and fights (bites, scratches, etc)
- Falls from height
- Crush injuries (e.g. accidentally stepped on)
- Burns & fire/smoke associated injuries
- Cuts, wounds, laceration
- Fractures and broken bones
- Impalement
- Strangulation
- Electrocution
- Drowning and submersion related injuries
What is an veterinary Trauma Centre?
A veterinary Trauma Centre is an elite veterinary facility that has met stringent criteria and with proven capabilities to provide:
- Immediate and 24/7 availability of an emergency veterinarian
- Access to comprehensive resources and facilities for treatment such as advanced imaging, laboratory services, multiple operating theatres, and ICU
- Team-based care for any trauma patient, which ensures your pet receives the best care possible
SASH’s multidisciplinary approach to trauma care can include specialists and veterinarians from the following disciplines:
Identification of Trauma Centres is through VetCOT (through the ACVECC – American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care) an independent and global authority on veterinary trauma. Their focus is on improving the quality of trauma patient care. Once accredited, each Trauma Centre must re-accredit at regular intervals to ensure that high standards are maintained.
Trauma Centres also participate in trauma case information sharing, which means that Trauma Centres are able to learn from other global leaders in trauma care to continuously improve patient care and outcomes.
SASH Trauma Centres
SASH currently has two VetCOT Trauma Centres, SASH North Ryde and SASH Western Sydney. These are the first and only two hospitals to have Trauma Centre status in Australia. In fact, there are only 20 VetCOT Trauma Centres globally, with them otherwise being exclusively in North America and the UK.
SASH is committed to accrediting all its hospitals and being the leaders in providing veterinary care for trauma patients.
Expertise and facilities available at SASH Trauma Centres
All SASH Trauma Centres offer best-in-class veterinary emergency and critical care. These include:
- Emergency & Critical Care specialists
- Access to additional specialists including Surgery, Internal Medicine, Diagnostic Imaging, and Anaesthesia
- Advanced imaging such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound
As not all traumas are the same, and often involving multiple organ systems (such as the heart, eye, brain, or spine), SASH North Ryde is fortunate to be able to offer a number of supporting specialist services, in addition to those mentioned above, to provide the most comprehensive trauma care in Australia:
- Specialist neurology & neurosurgery
- Specialist cardiology
- Specialist ophthalmology
The unique combination of expertise and facilities at SASH makes it the emergency hospital of choice for any situation, giving you peace of mind that your pet will not need to be transferred outside of the SASH network.
Does it cost extra to receive treatment at a SASH Trauma Centre?
No, it does not cost extra to receive treatment at a SASH Trauma Centre. In fact, receiving care at a VetCOT Trauma Centre within the SASH network is comparable in price to other 24/7 emergency and specialist hospitals that do not have Trauma Centre status. Providing the highest quality patient care to more patients is the top priority for SASH. Achieving Trauma Centre status demonstrates SASH’s commit to veterinary excellence at no extra cost to the client.
