Royal Visit to Chelsea and Westminster Burns Unit

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Prince Michael of Kent meets children and staff who care for them

He met children who have been cared for on the Unit, as well as staff who provide specialist treatment.

He also saw how £90,000 donated to the Unit by the Mark Master Masons through the Children’s Burns Trust has been used to improve services for young patients.

Prince Michael is Patron of both the Children’s Burns Trust and Grand Master of the Mark Master Masons.

The donation has been used to buy specialist equipment such as a new bath to improve bathing facilities for children and audio-visual equipment used for general distraction and during physiotherapy.

The Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster is the only one London to provide specialist care for adults and children with complex burn injuries.

It admits around 500 new patients a year, one third of whom are children, with a further 2,700 new patients a year, half of whom are children, seen in the dressing clinics run at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Queen Mary’s University Hospital, Roehampton.

Mr Greg Williams, Burns Service Lead Clinician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: " A burn is extremely traumatic to patients, especially children, and providing an environment that is as stimulating as possible helps to distract them from the discomfort of the injury, the anxiety around treatment and the boredom of being in hospital.

" We are very grateful for this generous donation which will make a real difference to our patients."

The Children’s Burns Trust is a national charity dedicated to providing rehabilitation support for children and their families. It provides direct financial support to families, as well as hospitals and works closely with NHS staff, and is committed to promoting prevention and awareness campaigns.

October 8, 2010