Major trauma services in the UK underwent reform in April 2012, following reports that trauma care in England was ‘unacceptable’ and in need of desperate change, and urgent recommendations were made to improve coordination, costs, and information about trauma care to avoid unnecessary deaths. Following the reconfiguration of services, NHS England highlighted the need for nurse key-workers, or coordinators, to support patients through the major trauma pathway and into rehabilitation. This article examines the literature on the coordinator role to understand its function in UK and international major trauma networks.