Adult burns
We have specialist pathway for adults 16 years and over. The information below only applies to adults.
Adults burns pathway (16 years and over)
When you arrive at the hospital with a burn injury, our team of experienced burn consultants and senior nurses will assess your condition and determine the most appropriate place for your care.
If your burn requires close monitoring or advanced treatment, you may first be admitted to our Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
This area is equipped with specialised machines that continuously monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. You may also receive medications through this equipment. During your stay in the ICU, you will have a dedicated nurse by your side at all times, providing one-on-one care, making sure you're comfortable.
After assessment or intensive care
Once your condition stabilises, or if your burn doesn’t need intensive care, you will be transferred to our Adult Burns ward.
This ward offers comfortable, specialised care in a soothing environment. We have four en-suite side rooms and a four bedded bay alongside a day room as a communal space and a treatment room. Room allocation is based on clinical need and your room may change during your stay including relocating to one of our plastic surgery wards as your condition improves.
Recovery
Once your burn is healing well and no longer needs overnight care, you will attend follow-up appointments as an outpatient. During these visits, we will monitor your progress and continue treatments in our treatment rooms until your burn is fully healed.
Discharge and after care
After your burn has healed, our burns therapists will be available to help you with any ongoing needs, such as managing scarring and maintaining your skin’s health.
They can also connect you with services that provide ongoing support to aid your recovery.
Burns outpatients
The burns outpatients department is part of the St Andrew’s Burns Centre at Broomfield Hospital.
It provides a dressing and after care clinic for adult patients with a burn injury.
You may be referred by your GP or local hospital A&E if you have a new burns injury after being discharged from the burns wards.
When you come to burns outpatients for dressings you will always see an experienced burns nurse. you may also see a doctor, advanced practitioner, occupational therapist, psychotherapist or scar therapist if needed.
Working with other Trusts
Our burns unit is part of the London and southeast Burns Network (LSEBN) and covers a large part of the east of England including London, north of the river Thames. This means that you may need to travel a long way for your burn care. A clinic is held once a week at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely to help reduce travelling distances for some patients.
If you are finding it difficult to get to your appointments due to finance or reduced mobility after your injuries, please discuss this with the nurses in clinic or call the us. You may be eligible for transport or help with some of your travel costs.
Our burns outreach team
If you are not clinically well enough to travel to the outpatients department, our burns outreach team can come and visit you at home.
They also support other hospitals, care settings and district/community nurses to make sure that all patients get the best possible burn care.
If you feel you are not well enough to travel, please contact us using the details below and let us know.
Contact us
You can contact us on 0300 443 0233.
Burns outpatients — View accessibility information about this area on the AccessAble website at https://www.accessable.co.uk/mid-and-south-essex-nhs-foundation-trust/broomfield-hospital/access-guides/e224-burns-outpatients.
St Andrew's outpatients and therapies —View accessibility information about this area on the AccessAble website at https://www.accessable.co.uk/mid-and-south-essex-nhs-foundation-trust/broomfield-hospital/access-guides/e121-st-andrew-s-outpatients-therapies.
Peer support for survivors
Having support from others who've been through similar experiences can really help to boost self-esteem, build confidence, and create a sense of hope for life after a burn injury.
For adults, you may opt to connect with:
- London Area Burns Adult Group based at Chelsea and Westminster however they offer online events as well as in-person support.
- Dans Fund for Burns Adult Support Group who offer online support via a forum and live moderated chat weekly on Wednesdays between 7.30pm to 9pm.
If you're interested in these or other resources, please speak to your clinical team, who can guide you in accessing the right support.
Adult Burn Support UK - https://adultburnsupportuk.org.
Patient information
Burns and scalds - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds
British Burn Association - https://www.britishburnassociation.org/patient-advice
Transitioning from children to adult services
Transitioning from children's services to adult services will take place during the ages of 16 to 18 depending on the service needed.
To find out more about the move between services, visit the Transitioning from children to adult burns services page.