In 1998, a team from the burns unit at Salisbury District Hospital were asked to spend time advising in the only Children's Burns Unit in Kathmandu, Nepal. The team included one of the Plastic Surgeons, the Unit Sister, and a Specialist Physiotherapist.听
They met many children with terrible burns. The isolation experienced by some of those children when they returned home to their villages reminded the physiotherapist of observations she had made back in England, - that some people found it hard to reintegrate into their community after being discharged from the Unit. They felt isolated and missed the cocoon provided by the Unit.听
Burns Unit staff at Salisbury District Hospital had previously tried to set up a support network which would ease the transition from hospital to home. Helpful links had been established with the Guinea Pig Club, a group of airmen who were burned during World War II and who supported each other ever after. At the time it was widely recognised that post hospital support for burns patients was also sparse in the UK.
In 1999 a support group for Salisbury District Hospital鈥檚 Burns Unit was founded by a physiotherapist, Senior Sister of the Burns Unit and a former patient. Named 鈥淏UGS (Burns Unit Group Support)鈥�, it was formally established in May 2000.
Since then BUGS has become well known amongst patients treated in Salisbury and amongst other Burns Units too.
Since BUGS became officially established in 2000, our achievements are many and varied:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
听 |
听
Also including contributions to:
 听Medical training in Burn Care |
Improving Clinical Psychology |
听Local Burns Research |
| 听Accreditation of Unit by Bournemouth University |
Achieving NBCR Standards of Care |
听National Strategy for Burn Care |
听
Our staff at Salisbury District Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of NHS Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.
