Our Services
The majority of minor burns can be managed in our Burn Ambulatory Care Clinic however some will require admission. We will admit adults for:
- deep burns involving 10% or more of the body surface area
- burns to the face, hands, feet, perineum and inner joint surface
- an inhalation injury
- an electrical burn
- a chemical burn
- burns with a significant pre-existing disease or concurrent injury
- a burn that requires acute pain management
- Major skin loss due to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, Steven Johnson Syndrome, Meningococcal disease or Necrotising Fasciitis
- reconstructive surgery
We also work very closely with the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) team, located on level 2, to manage critically ill burn patients who may require ICU management.
Once patients have improved and are more stable, they will be then transferred to the Burn Unit for further burn wound management.
Our mission is to provide the most current and innovative Burns surgery, nursing and multidisciplinary rehabilitative care to facilitate optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes and allow our patients transition back to a normal way of life as effectively and efficiently as possible.
We believe in empowering our patients to take back control of their lives, whilst providing them with the support and guidance required through our multidisciplinary team approach.
Burn Ambulatory Care Clinic
Referral criteria / process:
We accept any ambulatory patients with an acute or chronic burn injury from any Emergency department, Metropolitan and Regional hospitals/ General Practice/ Justice Health/ Mental Health and Interstate Burn Units.
We provide wound management for acute minor burns, as well as extensive ongoing care of burns post discharge from Burn Unit and post reconstructive surgery.
Our allied health clinicians (including physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, dietician, psychologist and social worker) are also involved in patients' rehabilitation in the clinic. Our staff will provide support and education to empower you and your family to achieve optimal independence. If you feel you or your family member require additional allied health support, please advise staff of your concerns.
We also work closely with the Plastics Clinic which is located on Level 2 of The Medical Centre.
Please ensure you make an appointment before presenting to the Burn Clinic. Please be aware that you may have to wait even if you have made an appointment, however our staff will try to see you as soon as possible. If you are attending the Burn Clinic for the first time, you are required to bring with you a referral letter from your General Practitioner and your current Medicare card.
If you are an overseas visitor in Australia on holidays, as a student or working, please be aware that you will be required to pay an upfront fee before we treat you. Fees are scheduled according to the NSW government and are updated annually. Please contact the Burns Clinic or Plastics Clinic to clarify how much you will need to pay.
ALL overseas visitors are required to bring all applicable documents with you as detailed below on your first visit:
- Current Passport
- Current student visa and card
- Current working VISA
- Current insurance
If you are unable to show your passport you will also be required to pay an upfront fee prior to treatment. The fee will vary according to your overseas status.
Telehealth services for Regional areas
We offer Telehealth services for regional patients with minor burn injuries that can be managed locally. A referral is required from your GP or your local hospital. To facilitate efficient assessment and advice for management of a burn injury, it is important the referring facility
1) email to CRGH.BurnsUnit@sswahs.nsw.gov.au and then telephone (Switch 02 9767 5000) the Burns Registrar or Burns Unit to ensure the referral is received.
2) Complete the automated Telehealth Referral Form and attach photos of the injuries with patient's consent form. We will then either contact your referring facility or you directly about your burn injury management.
Sometimes, you may need to attend the Burn Ambulatory Care Clinic to receive initial treatment and then be followed up with your GP or Community Nurse supported by our Telehealth service. Bring ALL appropriate documents including your referral letter and current Medicare Card on your first visit.
Burn Scar Clinic
The Burn Scar Clinic is a specialised treatment clinic within the Burns Unit of Concord Repatriation General Hospital. It was established in early 2015 to specifically address the multifaceted treatments required for the long term management of burn victims. The different aspects of burn scars are evaluated and a holistic treatment plan established, ranging from complex reconstructive surgery to the newest laser treatments, including fractional ablative CO2 laser.
Clinic times are Thursdays from 9am to 12pm. To make a booking, please select and complete appropriate forms (Workers compensation or Medicare documents and Patient's Registration Form) so we can process your appointment in a timely manner. You will need to bring your current Medicare card with you to your first clinic appointment.
Burn Unit Skin Laboratory
Skin grafting is a critical life-saving procedure for burn wound closure, wound infection control and wound healing. However the lack of donor sites for skin graft harvesting is often a major challenge in treating severe burns. Autologous cellular and tissue therapy have emerged as an important component of regenerative medicine for severe burn wound care.
The CRGH Skin Laboratory, a NSW state-funded clinical facility with cutting-edge technologies of skin tissue cultivation, was established in 2001 to grow autologous skin cells and grafts as alternative skin grafts for severe burn management. The facility has been constructed adjacent to the surgical theatre complex in our burn centre with a purpose-designed, well-equipped clean room and quality monitoring system for the GMP production of cultured cells and grafts for clinical application. This laboratory, as part of NSW Severe Burn Injury Service (SBIS), supplies cultured cellular products to all three NSW burn centres including Concord Hospital, Westmead Children's Hospital and Royal North Shore Hospital.
Laboratory cultivation of skin cells and autografts involves taking a split-thickness skin biopsy with minimal biopsy wound (about 4 cm2) that is easy wound to care for. Cultured living progenitor keratinocytes and epidermal autograft (CEA) can facilitate more efficacious healing and closure of wounds from severe burns and donor sites.
As the need for a durable permanent skin substitute becomes increasingly acute, the CRGH Skin Laboratory for years has committed to develop a 3D living skin substitute using tissue engineering technology. The clean room facility serves as an excellent platform for the clinical translation of our research and development for not only saving life but also facilitating better wound healing and skin regeneration.
Application of cultured skin grafts for severe burn management requires the close team cooperation of scientific, surgical and nursing staff personnel.
Burn Pain Service
The Burn Pain Service is an outpatient service associated with the Concord Hospital Burns Unit. We offer follow up patients (except work related burn injury) still troubled by pain from their burn injuries after hospital discharge from acute care.
Referral from your GP is required and should be directed to the Burns Outpatients Clinic if you have an unhealed wound. Tel. (02) 9767 7775, fax (02) 9767 5835 during business hours.
We treat patients whom:
- had more than burns over 10% of the body
- ANY electrical injuries of any size
- Significant oral opioid usage at discharge
- Taking more than 60 mg total oral morphine daily
- Taking more than 40 mg total oral Oxycodone daily- including OxyContin and Endone/ Oxynorm
- Difficult to control pain during hospital stay and even after discharge home
- Taking any Pregabalin (Lyrica) or Gabapentin at any dose
- Anyone with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
- Recommendation by Pain Service at discharge
