Although there are more than 220 emergency departments (EDs), there are comparatively few places where patients with severe burns may be cared for by clinical specialists. This is particularly the case for children. A burns mass casualty incident is likely to be declared for significantly fewer casualties compared to a typical trauma scenario, especially if serious burn injuries are involved. Incidents involving less than 10 casualties with serious burns will put significant strain on local burn services but more than 20 will impact national capability and resilience.

Therefore, a Burns Annex was produced to accompany the National Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the Mangement of Mass Casualities.  The purpose of the Burns Annex is to provide an overview of the expected response by the NHS, specifically specialised burns services, to an incident involving a large number of casualties with burns.  It should be read in conjunction with:

• Concept of operations (CONOPS) for the management of mass casualties
• Clinical guidelines for major incidents and mass casualty events
• Management of surge and escalation in critical care services: standard operating procedure for adult and paediatric burn care services in England and Wales

If you work in a Specialised Burn Services, you should also read the Buns Incident Response Team (BIRT) Information Pack (2023) for further information about BIRT deployment, access to standard documents required on deployment and also details on how to volunteer to be part of a BIRT in the event of a major incident involving burns. 

Additional training for members of a BIRT are available via the Health Education England Learning Hub: BIRT Catalogue  - Please note that you can use your e-Learning for Health log-in or register on the Learning Hub.

FINAL ICU Burns Rehab Condition Card. Respiratory Care V1

FINAL ICU Burns Rehab Condition Card. V1