7/7 survivor celebrates Burns Appeal success

7/7 survivor Davinia Turrell today announced that a psychologist will provide vital support for burns patients at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital following a successful appeal to raise more than £100,000.

Davinia, who was treated for burns at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital having been injured in the Tube train bombing at Edgware Road station on 7 July 2005, launched the fundraising appeal on 7 July last year—the fifth anniversary of the London bombings.

The image of Davinia clutching a surgical burns mask to her face in the aftermath of the Edgware Road bombing came to symbolise the bravery of Londoners on that day.

Davinia Turrell says: “I was honoured and excited that Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity asked me to launch their Burns Appeal because I know that burns can have many lasting psychosocial effects on people, no matter the size and location of their injuries and scars.

“When I was treated at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, I had help from a post-traumatic stress counsellor but there wasn’t a dedicated psychologist attached to the Burns Service.  Since then Dr Lisa Williams has been appointed as a clinical psychologist to set up the psychological service for adults and I have worked with her closely to create and fund a project to improve access to psychological care.

“Thanks to the generosity of everyone who donated money to the Burns Appeal which I launched on 7/7 last year, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has now appointed clinical psychologist Dr Sally Norwood to run a dedicated psychological screening service for the next two years. I am delighted that this will improve further the already excellent quality of care that staff in the Burns Service provide to patients.”

The Burns Service at Chelsea and Westminster treats approximately 500 new inpatients every year. It is the only Burns Service in London providing specialist care for adults and children with complex burn injuries.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Sally Norwood has been appointed to ensure that all burns inpatients receive an assessment of their psychosocial needs on admission to hospital, as well as ongoing screening and monitoring to highlight issues in the years after they suffer a burn.

Dr Sally Norwood explains: “By screening patients when they are first admitted to hospital and at other key points of their treatment journey, we can assess their psychological needs and resources and then provide timely interventions to promote the emotional wellbeing of patients and their families.”

Mr Greg Williams, Burns Service Lead at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital says:  “On behalf of the entire Burns Service, I would like to express my gratitude to all those individuals, including many former patients, who have so generously donated money to the Burns Appeal.

“We hope that Sally’s appointment will help us to demonstrate the benefits of screening patients to identify potential psychological issues, address them early and help with recovery.”

Gary Lawson, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity added: “We are delighted that the Burns Appeal has raised awareness of the excellent work that staff in the Burns Service provide for their patients and we are extremely grateful to more than 500 donors who helped us to raise more than £100,000.

“We would like to encourage people to continue donating to the Health Charity so that we can support Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in other ways.”

Donations to Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity can be made at www.chelwestcharity.org.uk.