Story originally posted on4 June 2009.

Firefighters Paul Bayliss and Gerald Adams have seen first hand how burns patient Jane Rule is treated at Selly Oak Hospital.

They were visiting the hospital as a result of a partnership between West Midlands Fire Service and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) which is contributing to significant advances in the way the fire service care for victims of trauma and burns.

Sister Maggie Mallon was able to show Paul and Gerald, both crew commanders, the kinds of techniques used to improve the management of burn injuries sustained by people rescued by firefighters from a range of incidents such as car crashes, house fires and industrial accidents.

For 18 months now, the fire service has been sending trauma instructors to Selly Oak Hospital as part of their training - where they visit the Burns Unit, Critical Care and Accident and Emergency. And it all came about because of a chance meeting.

Margaret Gately, Senior Nurse for Burns and Trauma Services, met Darren North, Senior Instructor for Trauma at West Midlands Fire Service, at the 8th International Trauma Conference. She explained: "Darren was concerned that his colleagues should have an understanding of the care patients receives once they have left the scene of the emergency. The visits are a way of improving collaborative care between the two services."

What has developed, according to Darren, is a "highly valuable" opportunity for their 60 trauma instructors to spend a day at Selly Oak Hospital and see how patients are treated.

He said: "It has been amazingly useful for us.The feedback we get from people who attend is extremely positive. We have already been able to improve our practice in many ways and pass on learning to our 1,600 frontline firefighters.

"For example, before the visits, in the rush to rescue fire victims and begin resuscitation, patients would often be placed straight on to the ground. Darren said: "Seeing how important it is to keep burns clean, we have changed our practices to use sheets to transport the patient."

Their change in practice has influenced new national guidelines for trauma care being developed by the Chief Fire Officer's Association. Selly Oak Hospital's trauma teams, led by Professor Keith Porter, have also supported an annual West Midlands Fire Service trauma conference which now attracts international delegates.

Margaret Gately said: "We're very pleased to work with the fire service in this way. Hearing about how patients are managed at the scene of emergencies gives us a better understanding of events prior to admission. In the future there are plans for UHB staff to visit the fire service events to gain more insight of the care of patients at the scene."