Scalding Campaign - Pinderfields Hosts Victory Celebration

On Friday 12th June Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield, joined 13 Year old scald victim Holly Devonport at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield  to celebrate the success of the Hot Water Burns Like Fire campaign to reduce scalding injuries in the home.  

As a result of a 3 year campaign led by Mary, the Government has changed the law to ensure that all baths in new bathrooms have a Thermostatic Mixing Valve (TMV).  This will significantly reduce scalding injuries in the home and Plastic surgeons and accident prevention charities have all welcomed the change in the law as a significant step forward for home safety.    

The celebration was hosted by Dr Keith Judkins, who leads on burn prevention for the British Burns Association (BBA) and is Consultant Anaesthetist at Pinderfields Hospital Burns Unit.  Other attendees included representatives from the West Yorkshire Fire Service and Wakefield District Housing.       

Mary Creagh, MP for Wakefield said: “The campaign started in Wakefield Burns Unit and it is wonderful to be able to bring the good news home to Wakefield at last. A lot of work has been done in London but none of this could have happened without the fantastic support of the Wakefield Burns Unit and Holly.”          

Dr Keith Judkins, Consultant Anaesthetist at Pinderfields and Chairman of the British Burns Association (BBA) Prevention Committee, said: “Every year around 600 people suffer severe bath water scalds, with around 450 being children under five. These types of injury cause misery, permanent disfigurement and around 20 cases a year are tragically fatal.  The good thing about the valves is that they limit the temperature of tap water to 48ºC. This is much less harmful than the standard hot tank temperature of 60ºC, which can cause scalds almost severe as those caused from petrol ignition."  

“It’s wonderful that Mary Creagh MP spearheaded the campaign and raised its profile nationally. Together we have worked hard to demonstrate to our Government not only that these valves make homes safer for children and the elderly but that it is far cheaper to install them than to pay for lifelong burn care for patients. Prevention is better than cure and I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us to bring about this change.   At the moment the regulations apply to new builds but I hope in time that all bath taps will be required to have TMVs”          

Brian Robinson, ex Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade and Chairman of Trustees of the Children's Fire and Burn Trust said: “We are delighted and relieved.  This change in the law WILL reduce the number of children and adults severely scalded each year by tap water.  Our sincere  thanks and congratulations to all who have worked so tirelessly to achieve this.”