Southmead Hospital, Bristol, Burns Service. North Bristol NHS Trust

The Adult Burn Service in Bristol is based within the Brunel Building at Southmead Hospital. The service operates from a purpose-built ward with dedicated clinic, physiotherapist/occupational therapists/scar management space and wet room facilities.  A burns theatre has environmental control and is in close proximity to two state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) rooms.  

The service is co-located with a Major Trauma Centre with immediate expertise from numerous on-site specialities.

The Unit runs an Acute Burns Clinic (ABC) which allows large dressings to be undertaken as an outpatient procedure with simultaneous input from members of the multidisciplinary team, from pain management to clinical psychology.  It has allowed us to move some inpatient activity into the community and reduce length of stay.  

The Unit provides care for adults in the Bristol area who meet the referral criteria up to Unit level burn injuries.  Patients from the Bristol area who have sustained more serious burns and have initially been treated in the Burns Centre in Swansea, or a Burns Centre outside of the SWUK ODN region, will be transferred to the Bristol Unit once clinically appropriate.  This ensures patients can continue their care and rehabilitation in a specialised burn service closer to their home and family.  Patients and their families can find out more about what happens during the transfer via this video: A Patient Guide to Transferring to the Burns Service at Southmead Hospital.

Tele-referrals accepted by the Bristol Adult Burns Unit (always ring the service once you have submitted the referral and photographs):  

Burns Tele-Referral Guideline V3.0

Further information about tele-medicine system can be found on the Tele-referral page.

See Referral criteria to the Bristol Adult Burns Unit for further information: 

For more information visit www.nbt.nhs.uk/adultburns

For a virtual tour of the Brunel Building visit https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/our-hospitals/step-inside-brunel