Patients and Public

Minor Injuries

For minor burns and scalds, cool the burn with running cool tap water for 20 minutes if within 3 hours of burn injury. Do not apply ice, butter or toothpaste. Remove any clothing, jewellery or nappies.

Call for help - NHS 111 or local GP for advice. In an emergency dial 999

Cover the cooled burn with loose clingfilm or a clean, non-fluffy cloth. Keep the patient warm

Further help and advice on treating minor burn injuries, can be found at the NHS Choices website

The LSEBN has published a Guideline on Burns First Aid and Prevention.

Charities & Support Groups

There are a number of important charities and support groups that can provide help and advice about burns and burn injuries, including:

Young People

The Hello Again website provides a helpful source of information for young people, their parents/carers and health professionals, to ensure that anyone making the move into adult burn care or away from care within the children’s hospital setting will find the experience as smooth as possible.

Public and Patient Voices

PPV is a core theme for the NHS. In the LSEBN, in addition to nationally recognised processes for PPV and Engagement, there are a number of patient-focused burns support groups, including hospital-based groups, the London Support Group and the Children’s Burn Club, as well as recognised charitableorganisations and support groups.

We are seeking to improve the way that patients and the wider public influence and support the work we do, and further information about PPV will be published here in 2021.