SCOTS trauma victims are being let down by a level of care in Scotland that lags behind the rest of the world, leading surgeons have warned.

A report today by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSE) said treatment could be improved with a dedicated network of trauma units spread out across Scotland.

It would be staffed by medics specialising in trauma care, matching the type of models seen in North America and currently being planned for the NHS in England.

Mortality for severely injured patients who are alive when reaching hospital is 40% higher in North America than in the UK.

At the moment, patients in Scotland who have been seriously injured in traumatic accidents such falls, road crashes or major disasters are admitted to their nearest local hospitals, which the RCSE report notes may not have the best resources to deal with them.

Trauma is the leading cause of death in all groups under 45 years old. In Scotland, it is responsible for approximately 1300 deaths per year. It is also the most common cause of death in children and is responsible for more deaths in children and adolescents than all other causes combined.

Ian Ritchie, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital and vice-president of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, said: "It is important to recognise the focus of this report is on the provision of care to the small group of patients suffering from major trauma.

"In general, trauma care in Scotland is of a very high standard. However, we can do better for those people who are very seriously injured. This report represents the beginning of a process which we hope will ultimately provide even better services for our patients in Scotland."

The report recommends the development of a trauma system across Scotland that focuses on reducing disability as well as mortality. Treatment of major trauma would be carried out at a small number of dedicated major trauma centres serving a wide geographic area.

Mr Ritchie added: "The model recommended by the report is equivalent to that in North America and the one being adopted in England.

"Major trauma treatment requires a precise set of skills and knowledge; it also needs to pull expertise from a wide range of specialties and resources. Under the current system in Scotland, major trauma patients are sent for treatment at the nearest local hospitals which may not have access to all the resources and specialisms needed."

Road crashes account for a major proportion of the trauma deaths and injuries in Scotland, accounting in 2010 for 208 deaths and 1964 people left seriously injured.

A spokeswoman for road safety charity Brake said: "As a charity that campaigns for the victims of road crashes and those bereaved by them, we absolutely want to ensure the highest standard of care is available to patients because we know what a huge difference this can make in terms of long-term recovery.

"Depending on the kind of crash you're in and whether you're a pedestrian or in a vehicle, your injury might be quite different. Limb-loss, paralysis and brain damage are all common types of injury that you would have as a victim of a serious road crash.

"Pedestrians in particular can suffer incredibly horrific and devastating injuries. If you're in a vehicle you have some protection, whereas if you're a pedestrian or a cyclist you absolutely don't, and as a pedestrian you're particularly likely to suffer crushing of your legs and head trauma if you're thrown on to the bonnet."