About Us

The London Major Trauma Psychology Network was established in 2023, to address longstanding inequalities in physical and mental health care, by improving mental health support for patients with major trauma injuries, their families, local communities and the staff who care for them. The Network’s pilot project has embedded a full team of psychologists at London’s four major trauma centres – King’s College Hospital, Royal London Hospital, St George’s Hospital, and St Mary’s Hospital – providing early, direct mental health care to major trauma patients (adults and children), who have psychological support needs. The Network also provides training and support for wider NHS teams and ongoing specialist support both inside and outside hospital, alongside existing community services.

In its first year of operation, the pilot supported over 5,000 patients.

The capital’s major trauma centres are part of a unique network of hospitals, air ambulances and paramedics known as the London Major Trauma System. The system treats over 12,000 people who have experienced traumatic injuries each year.

Between 30 to 40 per cent of trauma patients report serious, long-term psychological disorders. This can have devastating, and sometimes lifelong impact on patients, who may need significant, ongoing support from the NHS and local authorities.

The pilot aims to change this through early identification and prevention, ensuring major trauma patients get the psychological support they need at the right time.

The Network’s teams are also charged with providing psychological support and leadership quickly, in the event of a major incident, such as a natural disaster, significant accident or terrorist attack.

The pilot is a collaboration between NHS England and NHS organisations across London, and is coordinated by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and West London NHS Trust. It is funded by NHS England’s London Violence Reduction Programme, in partnership with NHS England’s specialised commissioning teams.

Key Contacts

• Professor Karim Brohi, Trauma and Vascular surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust, and Clinical Director of the London major trauma system.
• Dr Idit Albert, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead for the Pan London Major Trauma Psychology Network, London Violence Reduction Programme, NHS England and West London Trust
• Claire Ruiz, Senior Programme Manager, London Violence Reduction Programme, NHS England
• Dr Ruth Dennis, Head of Psychology for the Psychological Medicine Service Line, West London NHS Trust

Key Documents

Download all documents and publications via our publications page.