MP thanks hospital following bonfire accident

An MP is raising safety awareness in advance of Bonfire Night after he was treated by Queen Victoria Hospital’s specialist team in July 2016, following a bonfire accident.

Gordon Henderson, Conservative MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, suffered 30% burns to his body whilst lighting a fire with a small amount of petrol.

Due to the seriousness of his burns, he was transferred from Kent to the specialist burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, spending ten days there. Mr Henderson has since made a good recovery.

Speaking ahead of Bonfire Night this weekend, Mr Henderson said: “To anybody out there who is in the habit of using petrol to start a bonfire, or is tempted to do so in the future, I would urge you to resist such temptation. Never use petrol on bonfires. I am so grateful to all those who cared for me in hospital and to the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance.”

It is estimated that around 300 people a day are seen with a burn in A&E departments across England and Wales. While most burns are minor, and do not require specialist treatment, you can make a real difference to someone’s recovery from a burn by remembering to “Cool, Call and Cover”:

• Cool the burn with running cold tap water for 20 minutes and remove all clothing from the area and jewellery (unless it is melted or firmly struck to the wound)
• Call for help – you can call the NHS 111 service for initial advice on treating burns or call your local GP.  In an emergency, call 999.
• Cover the burn with cling film or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth.  Make sure the patient is kept warm

Queen Victoria Hospital specialist burns care advisor, Kristina Stiles said: ““The most important first aider is the person already present at the scene of the burn injury; giving the right first aid quickly following a burn or a scald can make an enormous difference to a person’s recovery time and the severity of their scarring.”