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The Scar Free Foundation

The Scar Free Foundation is the world's only medical research charity dedicated to scar free healing.[1] It was founded in 1998 by plastic surgeon Michael Brough, following his work with survivors of the King's Cross Fire in London. Initially known as The Healing Foundation, it was rebranded to The Scar Free Foundation in 2016.

The charity aims to achieve scar free healing within a generation, by funding medical research into scarring conditions. Current research is focused on identifying the genetic pathways that lead to scarring, developing new treatment options, and improving the mental health outcomes and quality of life of patients currently living with scars.

The current Chairman is former Medical Director of the NHS, Sir Bruce Keogh, and the Chief Executive is Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE. Peter Weissberg CBE is the Research Council Chairman. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh is the charity's Royal Patron. Notable Ambassadors include Simon Weston CBE and Pam Warren.

History

Phoenix Appeal

Mr Michael Brough was the leading surgeon at the University College Hospital on 18 November 1987, when a wooden escalator at the King's Cross underground station burst into flames.[2] The intense fire in a confined space resulted in 31 deaths; 19 survivors suffered flame burns.[3]

After months of managing scars and contractures, Brough began advocating for better treatments for the physical and psychological damage that burn survivors faced. He set up the Phoenix Appeal in 1988 to fund the establishment of the first university department of plastic and reconstructive surgery at University College London.[4]

The Healing Foundation

In 1998, as Treasurer of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), Brough and his fellow Trustees established The Healing Foundation.[5][6] Building on the work of the Phoenix Appeal, The Healing Foundation aimed to champion the cause of people living with disfigurement (including, but not limited to burns survivors) by funding pioneering research into surgical and psychological healing techniques.

Shortly thereafter, other UK medical membership bodies agreed to join The Healing Foundation as Partner Member Organisations.[6] They all had interest in scarring and disfigurement, and offered the fledgling charity credibility, connections, and funding. These organisations were BAPRAS, the British Association of Aesthetic Surgeons[7], the British Psychological Society[8], the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland[9], the British Burns Association[10], and the British Society for Surgery of the Hand.[11]

John Hart CBE was appointed as the first Director of The Healing Foundation in February 1999.[6] Brendan Eley joined the organisation as Appeal Director in 2001, before being made CEO in 2004.[6]

The Scar Free Foundation

In 2016, The Healing Foundation officially rebranded as The Scar Free Foundation.[12] This change was made following a detailed assessment of previous research work and future priorities with clinicians, Partner Member Organisations, and people with lived experience of scarring.[6] The charity pivoted to focus exclusively on wound healing and scarring conditions.

Brendan Eley was replaced by Richard Nugee in April 2023.[13]

Research Centres and Major Projects

The Scar Free Foundation (formerly The Healing Foundation) has co-ordinated research projects in burns, cleft, conflict wounds, and scarring genetics since its inception in 1998. Notable projects include:

Burns

Burns are one of the most common forms of trauma worldwide. 180,000 people die every year from burn injuries - the majority in low- or middle- income countries. Those who survive severe burns face long hospital stays, disability, and stigma.[14]

The Healing Foundation Centre for Children's Burns Research

In June 2013, The Healing Foundation funded a £1.5 million research centre at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, in partnership with the Welsh Government. The goal of the centre was to develop new techniques and approaches to prevent burns and scalds and improve the clinical care of children who have suffered such injuries.[15][16]

The Healing Foundation Centre for Burns Research

In October 2013, the Healing Foundation Centre for Burns Research was opened in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. The £6 million research hub was opened by the Duchess of Edinburgh.[17]

Global Burns Core Outcome Set

Cleft

A cleft occurs when separate areas of the face do not join together properly when a baby is developing in the womb. Around 1 in 700 children are born with cleft lip or cleft palate, making it the most common craniofacial abnormality that children are born with.[18] Most children with a cleft in the UK undergo surgery within the first six months of birth to correct the defect - most of these children will end up with scars on their lips or on the inside of their mouth, or both.[19] Treatment of cleft continues through to adulthood, including speech and language therapy, dental care, and possibly further surgery.[19]

Clefts are multifactorial in origin, with genetics and environmental factors playing a role.[20]

The Cleft Collective

The Cleft Collective is a large-scale multigenerational cohort study of children born with cleft lip and/or palate and their families. It was established in 2013 to answer the top three questions parents have when their child is diagnosed with a cleft:

  • What has caused my child’s cleft?
  • What are the best treatments for my child?
  • Will my child be OK (both now and in the longer term)?[21][22]

Biological samples (such as saliva) and data on demographics, lifestyle, and psychology are collected. Parents can also consent to having medical and educational records accessed, giving researchers a comprehensive overview of a child's life from birth to their teenage years.[23]

As of November 2022, 10,000 participants have been recruited from all 16 Cleft Centres in the UK, making it the largest biobank of its kind in the world.[24] The data is available for researchers from any discipline to use.[25] Over 87 peer-reviewed papers have been published in journals such as the Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, and the International Journal of Epidemiology.[26]

The Scar Free Foundation's involvement in the Cleft Collective is ending mid-2024, with new funding being provided by The Underwood Trust.[24]

Conflict Wounds

Combat injuries like blast injuries, burns, shrapnel wounds, and limb loss impact quality of life - itching, loss of function, and pain are common. Research by King’s College London has also shown that armed forces personnel injured in combat are 67% more likely to report feelings of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.[27]

Civilians are also at risk of conflict wounds, whether through warfare or acts of terrorism. Explosive weapons, like artillery shells and bombs, are hugely destructive - when these are used in populated areas, around 90% of those killed or injured are civilians. [28] From 2011 to 2021, over 500 people in the UK were injured in terrorist incidents.[29]

SmartWound Predict Dressing

The Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research

In 2018, the Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research was opened by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh in the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.[30]

The Centre aims to reduce the physical and psychological impact of scarring among servicemen and women and those injured in terrorist attacks. It set up in partnership with the CASEVAC Club, a community of "accidental survivors" of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Modelled on the Guinea Pig Club (a group of injured WW2 veterans who were instrumental in the development of plastic surgery) the CASEVAC Club is passionate about the advancement of medical science.[31][32] David Wiseman and Dave Henson, among others, were instrumental in setting up the Centre for Conflict Wound Research.


References

  1. ^ "About Us — The Scar Free Foundation". scarfree.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  2. ^ "King's Cross fire: 'I was screaming in pain'". BBC News. 2017-11-18. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  3. ^ Croome, Desmond F.; Jackson, Alan Arthur (1993). Rails Through the Clay: A History of London's Tube Railways. Capital Transport. ISBN 978-1-85414-151-4. p459
  4. ^ "Michael Brough". The Independent. 2004-12-13. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  5. ^ "About Us | BAPRAS". www.bapras.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hart, John; Eley, Brendan (2016). Green, A. Roger (ed.). BAPS to BAPRAS: The History of the Association 1986-2016. London: Polymath Publishing. pp. 137–142. ISBN 978-1-904096-29-0.
  7. ^ "British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) — The Scar Free Foundation". scarfree.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  8. ^ "The British Psychological Society — The Scar Free Foundation". scarfree.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  9. ^ "The Scar Free Foundation". craniofacialsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  10. ^ "The British Burn Association — The Scar Free Foundation". scarfree.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  11. ^ "The Scar Free Foundation | The British Society for Surgery of the Hand". www.bssh.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  12. ^ Bristol, University of. "July: scar-free healing | News and features | University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  13. ^ "About Us — The Scar Free Foundation". scarfree.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  14. ^ "Burns". www.who.int. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  15. ^ "Frenchay Hospital children's burns research centre opens". BBC News. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  16. ^ Bristol, University of. "2013: School of Social and Community Medicine | News and features | University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  17. ^ Buckley, Jemma (2014-10-21). "Countess of Wessex opens Birmingham burns research centre". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  18. ^ "What is Cleft Lip & Palate?". CLAPA. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  19. ^ a b "Cleft lip and palate - Treatment". nhs.uk. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  20. ^ "What Causes a Cleft? - What is Cleft Lip & Palate?". CLAPA. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  21. ^ Bristol, University of. "The Cleft Collective | Bristol Dental School | University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  22. ^ "Cleft lip research launched in UK". BBC News. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  23. ^ Bristol, University of. "What information are you collecting?". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  24. ^ a b Bristol, University of. "2022: 10,000th Participant and Funding News! | Bristol Dental School | University of Bristol". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  25. ^ Dardani, Christina; Howe, Laurence J; Mukhopadhyay, Nandita; Stergiakouli, Evie; Wren, Yvonne; Humphries, Kerry; Davies, Amy; Ho, Karen; Weinberg, Seth M; Marazita, Mary L; Mangold, Elisabeth; Ludwig, Kerstin U; Relton, Caroline L; Davey Smith, George; Lewis, Sarah J (2020-08-01). "Cleft lip/palate and educational attainment: cause, consequence or correlation? A Mendelian randomization study". International Journal of Epidemiology. 49 (4): 1282–1293. doi:10.1093/ije/dyaa047. ISSN 0300-5771. PMC 7660147. PMID 32373937.
  26. ^ Bristol, University of. "Publications". www.bristol.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  27. ^ Dyball, Daniel; Bennett, Alexander N; Schofield, Susie; Cullinan, Paul; Boos, Christopher J; Bull, Anthony M J; Wessely, Simon; Stevelink, Sharon A M; Fear, Nicola T (July 2022). "Mental health outcomes of male UK military personnel deployed to Afghanistan and the role of combat injury: analysis of baseline data from the ADVANCE cohort study". The Lancet Psychiatry. 9 (7): 547–554. doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(22)00112-2. ISSN 2215-0366. PMID 35717965.
  28. ^ "INEW ~ Explosive Weapons Monitor: Documenting Two Years of Global Harm to Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (2021-2022)". www.inew.org. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  29. ^ "Injuries from terrorist attacks". Our World in Data. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  30. ^ "Britain's first specialist wound hub to open". BBC News. 2018-11-13. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  31. ^ "The Guinea Pig Club | RAF Benevolent Fund". www.rafbf.org. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  32. ^ Club, CASEVAC. "CASEVAC Club". CASEVAC Club. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
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