The first military and civilian wound research centre of its kind in the world was opened at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on Tuesday 13th November. The Centre is aiming to minimise the psychological and physical impact of scarring among armed forces personnel and civilians wounded in terrorist attacks. The Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research is a ground-breaking national facility that marks a vital step in achieving the charity’s goal of achieving scar free healing within a generation.
The Centre was officially opened by the Scar Free Foundation’s patron, HRH The Countess of Wessex.
The new world-class centre has the potential to improve the lives of the estimated 4.5 million people in the UK who currently live with a physical scar which affects their wellbeing. Scarring has a particularly significant long-term impact on survivors of conflict and terrorist attack, with more than 6,000 members of the British armed forces having been seriously injured or scarred in recent conflicts.
Veterans who have survived physical injury are also at greater risk of experiencing mental health problems. The new centre will support the creation of bespoke psychosocial interventions to help veterans and their families adjust to living with scars.