Your support funds a second year of Broomfield Hospital’s Burns Bus Service

A pioneering burns outreach service that brings specialist wound care closer to patients’ homes has secured a second year of funding, thanks to the generosity of supporters of Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity.

More than £68,000 of extended funding has ensured that the Burns Outreach Bus – known by many as ‘BOB’ – can continue delivering life‑changing care across Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and London.

Launched as the first service of its kind in the UK, the Burns Bus is a fully equipped mobile dressing clinic staffed by specialist burns nurses and therapists. Designed to reduce long, difficult journeys for patients treated by the renowned St Andrew’s Burns Centre at Broomfield Hospital, the service brings wound care, scar therapy and follow‑up support directly into communities. In its first year, the team onboard the bus have been able to offer over 1,000 appointments which would otherwise have required visits to Broomfield Hospital.

The bus operates from large supermarket car parks at pre‑arranged locations, allowing children and adults with burns injuries to receive expert care without the physical strain, cost or time commitment of repeated hospital visits.

Sue Boasman, Burns Advance Nurse Practitioner said: “Thanks to the continued generosity of community supporters, we are delighted to be able to keep providing specialist burns care closer to home for our most vulnerable patients.

“Families have told us how much less stressful the Burns Bus is, especially for children, and many are benefiting from shorter journeys, lower travel costs and well‑run clinics. It has also had a positive environmental impact, saving an estimated 60,000 miles of patient travel in our first year.”

The continuation of the service means that hundreds more patients will benefit from convenient, accessible treatment during what can be an emotional and challenging recovery period.

Lucy Thomas – Clayton, Director of Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity, added:
“We are incredibly proud to extend funding for this groundbreaking service for another year. Every donation, whether from individuals, community groups or local businesses has helped make this possible. Our supporters are directly improving the lives of burns patients and their families, ensuring they can access specialist care closer to home.”

With demand for accessible specialist care continuing to grow across the region, the extended funding marks an important step toward making the Burns Bus a long‑term fixture in patient support.