Brave young patients at one of the country’s biggest children’s hospitals became superheroes for the day – after a visit from their local fire and rescue service.

Yesterday [Wednesday] Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) were proud to pay a special visit to the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

Members of their Prevention and Education team teamed up with medical staff from the Northern Regional Burns Centre to offer out advice on recognising National Burn Awareness Day.

They revealed that last year 7,335 children were admitted to hospital in England and Wales with serious injuries as a result of being burned or scalded.

And surprisingly, the most common cause of children’s burns isn’t fire – it’s actually hot drinks – with figures showing 30 children a day go to hospital with such burns.

TWFRS took one of our fire appliances down to the Children’s hospital located on the grounds of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in the heart of the City.

And they were greeted by some of the young heroes currently being treated at the hospital, who had the chance to be heroes for the day.

The brave patients had the chance to explore the fire engine and try on some fire kit along with the hospital’s very own mascot, Fudge.

Station Manager Jonathan Ramanayake, for TWFRS’s Prevention and Education team, said:

“It was invaluable for us to take part in the National Burn Awareness Day activities at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

“As a Service our crews unfortunately attend a number of residential fires and household incidents where people, young and old, have been seriously burned or injured by means of fire or scolding from hot water.

“For parents and guardians to have essential first aid knowledge to administer after a burn or scold could prove vital in the long run, and help to reduce the overall impact on the person involved.

“Having a chance to meet the young patients was also incredible for our staff. Their bravery, at such a young age, should be an inspiration to us all.”

To accompany the fun and excitement generated by the visit, TWFRS reinforced the serious health and safety messaging being conveyed during the awareness day.

Fire service staff and nurses gave first aid advice to parents and guardians about how to treat burns and scolds, especially in the run up to Bonfire Night.

They focused on three main tips for anyone suffering a burn or scald:

COOL the burn with cool running water for up to 20 minutes
CALL for help for any burn larger than a 50p coin
COVER with cling film, a clean non-fluffy dressing or a cloth

They added that you should NEVER put ice directly on to the burn as it could cause lasting damage

Please don’t apply any CREAMS, TOOTHPASTE or BUTTER as that will only deepen the burn.

Dr Emma Hodgkinson, Psychological Lead for the Northern Burn Care Network at the Great North Children’s Hospital, said: “National Burn Awareness Day is a hugely important event in our annual calendar.  While our primary role as clinicians is to treat burn injuries, we are also passionate about trying to reduce the risk of injury in the first place by promoting burns safety and prevention as well as effective first aid.

“The children had so much fun seeing the fire engine and meeting the fire service team, and their parents/carers gained some important knowledge around how to protect their child and care for them if they sustain an injury.

“We in the Northern Regional Burns Service are proud to have such a strong alliance with the Tyne and Wear Fire Service and look forward to working together to promote burns safety and prevention across our community.”

If you ever witness or experience a serious burn then please call 111 or 999 in an emergency, and ask for help.