Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH) is hoping to secure funding to launch a safety programme in 2011 focusing on preventing burns to children from hair straighteners. In preparation it is looking for examples of similar programmes around the country.
Birmingham will be basing its programme on a successful initiative run in Scotland and overseen by Leslie Nish, NHS Glasgow and Greater Clyde's Health Improvement Officer. With it's slogan "STRAIGHT OFF, STRAIGHT IN, STRAIGHT AWAY", the campaign focused on the case of Kayla Murray, an 18-month old girl who last year suffered severe burns and consequently painful skin grafts as a result of tugging on a dangling hair straightener flex.
As well as seeking good practice in this field, BCH is planning to produce a leaflet on burns prevention which is based on a real story and is looking for a family who would be willing to be a case study. Although they are based in Birmingham, it is hoped that the leaflet would be available country-wide. The team at Birmingham are also joining forces with the British Burns Association for a burns prevention day at Birmingham Town Hall in early February.
For more information, or if you can help, contact Jane Powell, Health Promotion Practitioner/ CAF lead: jane.powell@bch.nhs.uk or phone 0121 333 8809
