History and Achievements

Our History

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.

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.

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’s Burns Unit was founded by a physiotherapist, Senior Sister of the Burns Unit and a former patient. Named “BUGS (Burns Unit Group Support)”, 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.

Our Achievements

Since BUGS became officially established in 2000, our achievements are many and varied:

A dedicated Volunteer Group	Information video	Attempt at Adult support though formal meetings
A quiet room	Hand Massage	Ward visiting
Improved outlook within the Unit	Website	Outpatient support
Reclining beds for parents	Newsletters	Public Education through talks
Buggies for children	Discretionary Grants for Adults	Patient advocacy
Emergency packs of toiletries	Grants for children to attend Peer Camps	Fund Raising through Stalls
Books of information for Adults and Parents	Conduit for other international camps	Community Nomination for a Waitrose Community Grant
Specialised Call Bells for patients with limited use of hands	Attempt at peer support through children's parties, outings and workshops

Also including contributions to:

Medical training in Burn Care	Improving Clinical Psychology	Local Burns Research
Accreditation of Unit by Bournemouth University	Achieving NBCR Standards of Care	National Strategy for Burn Care

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.