The National Burn Care Review (2001) recommended changes to the structure and delivery of burn care services in the British Isles. The recommendations made in this report are still guiding the ongoing development and improvement of Burn Care Services across England and Wales. The National Network for Burn Care was originally established to co-ordinate the response to this review and to oversee the implementation of the strategy and standards described.
The “structure” of Specialised Burn Care Services
The key recommendation from the review was that all burn injuries requiring hospitalisation should only be admitted under the care of specifically trained specialist staff.
The review recommended that specialist burn care services should be “stratified” into Burn Facilities, Burn Units and Burn Centres. Burn Centres would treat the most complex injuries. Each service should be designated either as adult or children’s but never both.
A Burn Facility equates to a surgical ward within a plastic surgery unit.
A Burn Unit and Burn Centre are both wards created purely for the care of burn injury, each able to deal with complex injuries. The Burn Centre being equipped and staffed to provide the highest levels of care for the most severely injures, with 24 hour immediate access to designated burn operating theatres.
