Author, philanthropist and our April cover star, Katie Piper, has officially launched the country’s first ever Burns Rehabilitation Centre. Through her charity The Katie Piper Foundation, she has been working for years behind the scenes to make this facility a reality for those with burns and scars in the UK. Based at Fairfield Independent Hospital in St Helens Merseyside, the Centre aims to treat 20 patients in the first 12 months of opening.
Once the fantastic work of the NHS Burns Service is done, The Katie Piper Foundation Rehabilitation Centre becomes a sanctuary for a patient’s next steps. Care will range from scar management therapy techniques and unrivalled physiotherapy treatment, to mental health support for those who suffer with burn trauma. This specialist team enable huge leaps in the path of recovery, using their longstanding skills as well as utilising new cutting-edge equipment that is rarely available for survivors of burns.
Katie Piper, said: “The Rehabilitation Centre has been a goal of mine since the very start. Developing this service with burns patients at its heart has been a rewarding and challenging process but we’re finally at the finish line and we’re ready to welcome patients. It’s a very big moment for myself, the team and the patients – it’s also a huge step forward for us as a charity. This charity is powered by the generosity of people and companies without any government funding so this is a huge milestone for me and everyone who has supported it. This year is the charity’s tenth anniversary which is a huge milestone, so it really does make this announcement that extra bit special!”
