With a responsibility to treat the most severely injured children, it’s essential that The Royal Children’s Hospital remains at the forefront of great trauma care. Dr Warwick Teague is ensuring that happens.

Taking on the role as Director of The Royal Children’s Hospital Trauma Service, Dr Teague leads a team which oversees the hospital’s protocols and procedures for care of severely injured children.

Dr Teague’s passion is to ensure these processes of trauma care are well maintained and, where possible, improved.

A leader in its field, RCH Trauma Services works to constantly improve the patient and family experience through robust and evidence-based systems.

From a shift handover involving every care team responsible for a trauma patient, to a dedicated call centre for trauma teams across The Royal Children’s Hospital and Melbourne to discuss cases, each system presents a unique and comprehensive approach to trauma care.

“One of the reasons I packed up and moved from Adelaide is that there’s something about this hospital and its opportunities. My role is a unique and precedent-setting one for the campus, and I’m thrilled to hold it.”

As part of this funded position, Dr Teague continues his work as an academic paediatric surgeon. Focusing on general, neonatal and burns surgery, Dr Teague will also pursue laboratory research into the gastrointestinal disorder, Duodenal Atresia.

Dr Teague has an enthusiasm for understanding how the body develops before birth. By understanding the ways in which the body develops normally, doctors will unlock the reasons why abnormal changes occur.

For Duodenal Atresia, Dr Teague is keen to find out how and why the blockages indicative of the condition are formed in the intestines or duodenum.

“It’s exciting to be part of evolving great care. In my role, I’m finding ways to improve hospital systems and participate in transforming surgery research.”

“Seeing how this work helps patients makes me passionate about what I do. I have never regretted focusing on paediatric surgery and I cannot imagine another field to go into. I’d be lost. I’m life-committed to paediatric surgery and The Royal Children’s Hospital is the best place to be.”