‘Nearest hospital not always best for crash victims’

The hospital to which people injured in road crashes are sent has a huge impact on their chances of survival and recovery, a senior medical expert has claimed.

Dr Cathal O’Donnell, the medical director of the National Ambulance Service, said people should realise that the nearest hospital was not always the best option for the victims of road crashes.

“It can be better to spend longer bringing you to hospital,” he remarked. “It can have a significant effect on the outcome.”