Burns
The QVH Burns Unit is a key member of the South East Burns Network which covers Kent, Surrey, Sussex and parts of South London. It provides all levels of adult care and up to high dependency care for children. In addition, we provide an outpatient clinic, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological support, rehabilitation for patients recovering from major burn injury and reconstruction clinics to review healed burns.
The QVH Outreach Burns Service provides specialist care for those patients within the region with burns that are not able to be transferred to the Burns Unit or for those with smaller burns who can be managed as out-patients nearer to their homes.
The burns team can be contacted for advice and appointments to see patients with acute or chronic burn wounds can be arranged by direct telephone referral (01342 414440). Patients with burn scars that impair function or are symptomatic can be referred into the burn reconstruction clinic by referral letter or using Choose & Book.
Patient information leaflets
Clinical effectiveness
In 2010 the Burns Centre accepted 870 adult burns referrals, 194 of whom required inpatient care and 582 paediatric burns referrals, 109 of whom required inpatient care on our paediatric ward.
Burns healing in less than 21 days are less likely to be associated with poor long term scars. A shorter burn healing time may reflect better quality of care through dressings, surgery and prevention of infection. The burns service has a 26% 'did not attend' rate for follow up, so the percentage healing within 21 days is likely to be higher.
Length of inpatient stay of burns patients is related to the size of their burn, measured as a percentage of their body surface area. We aim that on average, adult patients under the age of 75 should require 1 day inpatient stay / 1% burn. Over 75 the length of stay is often complicated by the requirement of complex social care packages which take time to arrange.
Average time for burn wound healing
QVH target: <21 day
QVH 2010/11: 16.8 days
Burn wounds healing within 21 days
QVH target: 100% < 21 days
QVH 2010/11: 77%
Average length of inpatient stay per percentage burn (<75 years old)
QVH target: 1 day
QVH 2010/11: 1 day
Average length of inpatient stay per percentage burn (>75 years old)
QVH target: 2 days
QVH 2010/11: 2 days
Full details of our patient safety, patient experience and clinical effectiveness measures are published in our annual Quality Accounts.