E-scooter data to be included in trauma audit reports – NOCA

Data on e-scooter accidents will be included in future major trauma audit (MTA) reports, according to the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA).

The MTA focuses on the care of the more severely injured patients in the healthcare system. It aims to drive quality improvement through the collection of high-quality data on patients and their care.

“Currently, we don’t report specifically on e-scooters, but this is an area we are interested in doing some research on and also will be included in subsequent [MTA] reports,” a NOCA spokesperson told the
Medical Independent.

The issue of data around e-scooters and road trauma was raised by speakers at the recent launch of updated medical fitness to drive guidelines. The document, Sláinte agus Tiomáint, provides guidance for healthcare professionals in assessing whether a patient is fit to drive following a medical diagnosis, injury, or treatment.

At the launch, Prof Conor Deasy, Clinical Lead of the MTA, discussed the MTA and road traffic collisions. During the question-and-answer session, speakers from the floor raised the need for data collection regarding e-scooters. Prof Deasy said this was an area that the MTA would likely take into account in future. In regard to road trauma, Prof Deasy presented statistics relating to cars, motorcycles, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Since May 2024, e-scooters are allowed in cycle or bus lanes and on local, regional, or national roads. Users must be 16 years or older and obey a speed limit of 20km/h. E-scooters are banned from footpaths and users cannot carry passengers.

Meanwhile, NOCA stated that the next MTA report is due to be published in autumn. It will focus on data from 2022. The report is slightly behind schedule following a cyberattack on University of Manchester, “where the trauma audit and research network was based”.