Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board | The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery

Latest Developments General Information for patients and relatives Ward information leaflets

The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, based in Morriston Hospital, provides a network of care for a population of 2.3 milion across West, Central and South Wales.

The Welsh Centre moved to Swansea from St. Lawrence Hospital, Chepstow in 1994, and since that time has become well established within Morriston Hospital.

The burns service has developed since the transfer and has always been at the forefront in the use of developing technologies for the benefit of burn patients e.g. Integra (artificial skin).

The service treats around 750 patients a year, of which half need inpatient treatment. Approximately half are children.

It has been checked against national standards and scored highest when assessed against other burn services in England. As a result, the Welsh Burns Centre has been designated as the new regional Adult Burn Centre for Wales and the South West of England.

Plastic Surgery at the Centre has a wide remit and we are able to offer nearly all services in Swansea for congenital deformity, to treat cancer, following accidents and infections and for a range of acquired problems such as arthritis of the hands and the development of pressure sores.

The Welsh Center for Burns and Plastic Surgery is also the base for Interburns, an international network for training, education and research in burns. To find out more, see our Interburns page.

Latest Developments

Burns and Plastic Surgery

2008/2009 saw the completion of the £9 million 1,600 square metres Burns and Plastic Surgery extension project (pictured). The extension has provided:

A refurbished physiotherapy room including a folding wall for patient confidentiality; reconfigured occupational therapy service to give staff and patients more space; a new reception area; a dedicated seminar room to provide enhanced teaching facilities, and improved facilities for children (two ITU cubicles which are more child friendly and a separate outpatients area for children.

The completed extension also has two fully operational burns theatres and an additional fourth plastic surgery theatre. The project itself received a ward in 2008/2009 for the Willmott Dixon Turner ‘Best Site’ out of their 21 projects in South Wales and the South West of England.

The Director of the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, William Dickson, (pictured) was awarded an MBE in the 2008 New Year's Honours List.

2008/2009 also saw a leading Swansea physiotherapist elected to a top position on the Board of the British Burns Association (BBA). Menna Davies, who’s been a physiotherapist with Swansea NHS Trust since 1989, was given a three-year term on the distinguished Executive Board.

November 2008 saw the successfully appointment of a 11^th Consultant into the team. This is part of a succession planning strategy for the service.

In February 2009 Anglesey Ward the elective plastic surgery ward was ring fenced for the specialty. This allowed an increased Day of Surgery Admission area, increasing the proportion of day of surgery admissions from 20% to 70%.

General Information

The clinical team

The Burns and Plastic Surgery service based in Morriston Hospital, Swansea is currently supported by 14 Burns and Plastic Surgery Consultants:

Mr. Bill Dickson Director, Welsh Burns Centre: Burns & Hypospadias

Mr. Mark Cooper Breast Reconstruction, Microtia and Facial Palsy

Mr. Max Murison Hand Surgery and LASER therapy

Mr. Hamish Laing Associate Medical Director (Performance improvement): Hand Surgery, Sarcoma and Skin Malignancy

Mr. Peter Drew Burns Surgery ,Pelvic Reconstruction

Mr. Ian Josty Hand Surgery, lower limb trauma and skin malignancy

Mr. Dean Boyce Training Programme Director,Hand Surgery, Brachial plexus

Mr. Tom Potokar Burns Surgery, Lower limb reconstruction

Mr Leong Hiew Breast Reconstruction

Mr Nick Wilson-Jones Paediatric plastic surgery including hypospadias

Mr Richard Karoo Head and Neck Oncology, Reconstructive Microsurgery and Skin Malignancy

Ms. Dai Nguyen Breast Reconstruction & Burns

Mr Amarijit Ghattaura Locum Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Miss Sarah Hemington-Gorse Locum Consultant Plastic Surgeon

The Nursing Team

The Lead Nurses for the service are:

Lead Nurse Burns Philippa Thompson

Lead Nurse Plastic Surgery Clare Baker

The Burns and Plastic Surgery service has five wards:

Ward details
Wards	Ward Manager	Ward Information Leaflet
Pembroke Ward beds for emergency patients	Victoria Davies
Angelsey Ward beds for elective (planned) patients	Nigel Broad
Powys Ward beds for burn patients	Rachel Govier	Powys Ward Patient Info Leaflet
Tempest Ward beds for Critical Care burns facility	Jackie Crook	Tempest ward Patient Info Leaflet
Dyfed Ward beds for children	Louise Scannell	Dyfed Ward Patient Info Leaflet
Burns and Plastic Outpatients Department	Sheriden Thomas
Burns Theatres and Dressings Rooms	Stephen Honeyman

We have a dedicated outpatient's department for both our Burns and Plastic Surgery patients, and also run clinics across South Wales in a number of locations, including: